


Hidden Claws 2 | A Faithful Heart (+18)

by Shanubi



Series: Hidden Claws [3]
Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Adult Content, Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Alpha Kim Namjoon | RM, Alpha Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Parents, Alternate Universe - Wolves, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Backstory, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Character Development, Childbirth, Doctor Kim Seokjin | Jin, Emotional Roller Coaster, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Hybrids, I Don't Even Know, Inappropriate Humor, Jealous Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V is a Sweetheart, M/M, Oh God Yes, POV First Person, Police Officer Min Yoongi | Suga, Pregnancy, Protective Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, References to Depression, Romance, Top Jeon Jungkook
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-01-21 11:16:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21298559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shanubi/pseuds/Shanubi
Summary: "Could wolves and humans live together?"This is a forbidden love story between a human and a wolf. You have done many sacrifices, in order to protect the lives of the innocent, but it doesn't end there. Another unexpected truth waits to be discovered...[Author's Note:]I am currently editing this story and will soon update the entire story at once. Just a heads up!(This story is written in first person and contains two other parts,"Hidden Claws"and"Hidden Claws | Jimin's Story". PleasePLEASEread both stories first before proceeding with this one.)
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Reader, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Reader, Kim Taehyung | V/Reader, Park Jimin (BTS)/Reader
Series: Hidden Claws [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1362241
Comments: 54
Kudos: 92





	1. Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ahem*
> 
> I am more nervous than you could ever be fiGHT ME-

_Hello, reader!_

_The time has finally come. I can now start publishing this story. The story that most of you waited for. I don't even know why I'm so excited but yeah, I'm literally shaking._

_Before we start, allow me to remind you of other things._ _ **'Hidden Claws'**, aka the original story, has been published, followed by _ _ **'Hidden Claws | Jimin's Story'**. I need you to read them before you proceed with this story._

_Yes, both are important and yes, you'll be confused if you don't read them first._

_ **Do it.** _

_For those who wanna act rebellious (please, don't) let me give you a big **SPOILER ALERT!!!** _

_Don't spoil yourself, go and read the other two stories. Come on, do it for your own good._

_Do NOT keep reading if you haven't seen the other stories._

_ **Stop right here.** _

_In case you have read both stories, go ahead._

_Here's a little reminder of what happened before._

_You live in a world populated by humans and wolves. Those two kinds have put borders between them centuries ago. Any kind of connection or interaction is forbidden. However, you came across a wolf and couldn't help but fall for him. After he admitted his feelings for you as well, you two started dating secretly. You kept your relationship hidden from the people around you, but not for too long._

_Your secret got exposed and you faced punishments. You were separated but it didn't take you too long before you found each other again. But after another chaos, you surrendered. You joined the enemy and left town._

_You left everyone and everything behind, only to save them._

_But who is going to save you?_

_ Allow me to introduce the characters: _

_ ** Jeon Jungkook (22 years old) ** _

_ ** ** _

_\- Alpha wolf/your mate_

_\- Has dark/messy hair and brown eyes_

_\- Prefers dark clothes but collects white shirts_

_\- Loving and caring, very protective and sweet_

_\- Gets jealous really fast, so gotta be careful when around others_

_\- Very strong and capable of almost everything_

_When he transforms into his wolf-form, he turns into a brown-grey wolf with incredible strength. He is super fast and has high endurance. Being one of the biggest wolves, he is also very skilled during combat as a wolf and a human._

_ _

_ ** Kim Namjoon (27 years old) ** _

_\- Alpha wolf/hybrid and the leader of the village near your town_

_\- Has silver hair and brown eyes_

_\- Supports and protects his wolves_

_\- Highly intelligent and capable of everything_

_\- May seem strict but is very gentle and kind_

_\- Is exhausted and done most of the time_

_He turns into a white-silver wolf when he transforms but isn't the one of a fighter. He isn't very strong but can withstand a lot damage so during a fight, he protects and helps the ones in need. Also, as the biggest wolf in the village, he stands out._

_ _

_**Park Jimin (23 years old)**_

_\- Alpha wolf/part of the wolf pack_

_\- Has black hair and brown eyes_

_\- Aggressive but has learned to control his feelings_

_\- Not a fan of humans but doesn't hate them anymore_

_He is the darkest wolf, once he transforms. He may be extremely strong but with the lack of speed, he loses a fight when the enemy decides to run away. In both forms, he is very strong and smart but also slow which irritates him a lot. He isn't the tallest but heavy due to the amount of muscles he owns._

_ _

_**Kim Taehyung (25 years old)**_

_\- Beta wolf_

_\- Has blond hair and brown eyes_

_\- Wears classy clothes, mostly seen wearing a suit_

_\- Judges people around him internally_

_\- Exchanges information and messages between villages_

_Once he transforms, he turns into a brown-redish wolf and is big in size but small in build. He seems thin compared to the others but he is really fast and skilled during a fight. He cannot endure much damage so he prefers to have someone fight by his side or leaves the area._

_ _

_ ** Min Yoongi (???) ** _

_ _

_\- ???_

_\- ???_

_\- ???_

_????_

_ ** Kim Seokjin (26 years old) ** _

_ ** ** _

_\- A doctor/medical assistant_

_\- Has black hair and brown eyes_

_\- Is very kind and treats people with much effort and care_

_\- Laughs at his own jokes_

_He works really hard and is always busy. Mystery also plays a big role as no one truly knows why he's accepted to secretly assist hurt and sick wolves. He is very intelligent, skilled and well educated but physically not strong enough to defend himself during a combat so he tends to stay away from danger._

** _ Jung Hoseok (21 years old) _ **

_\- A common citizen_

_\- Has brown hair and brown eyes_

_\- Is very friendly but can be strict when it comes to studying_

_\- Gets overprotective sometimes but always listens_

_\- You two were really good friends_

_\- Defines the word 'hopeless' just perfect_

_Though he laughs and smiles a lot, he can be very serious and angry as soon as he senses something wrong. Wolves are still his biggest fear. He is skilled enough to defend himself during physical combat and that's about it._

_ ** Milo (your pet dog) ** _

_ ** ** _

_\- A very skilled and polite husky_

_\- Precious friend who's been away for too long_

_\- Not sure where he is, but he's alright_

_\- Must protect 24/7_

_I chose a **Siberian Husky** because their breed is the closest related to the wolf and they fit more to the story (not sure I want to add him to this one). He is very brave and well taught but sometimes he would cause trouble and your parents would blame you._

** _ The Mark _ **

** _ _ **

_Every wolf (doesn't matter which gender) gets a permanent tattoo on the right side of their chest. This shows their true identity so they cannot sneak into the human side without being noticed at some point. I chose the omegaverse symbol because it looks simple and cool. Again, it's Jimin's chest because I had no energy to photoshop another picture. And I know that no one's complaining so it's fine._

\-------------------------------------------

_Now, hold on tight._

_We've got surprise guests._

_ ** The Gosens ** _

** _ _ **

_They are the main members of the Gosens, who lead and control the whole pack. I don't think there is much I have to say since most of it is already obvious. They are the 3D._

_\- Dangerous_

_\- Deadly_

_\- Down for some killing_

_(I may or may not enjoy this a little too much but it cannot be helped. There are so many things I wanna add but I'm holding myself back.)_

_And of course..._

** _ Lee Ji-eun (26 years old) _ **

** _ _ **

_Wait, who is she?_

_Why is she mentioned?_

_What's the meaning of this???_

_You'll find out soon._

\-------------------------------------------

_Alright, this is it._

_This is all you have to be aware of, everything you should be aware of._

_Again, read _ _ **'Hidden Claws' ** _ _and _ _ **'Hidden Claws | Jimin's Story' ** _ _first. PLEASE._

_If you haven't and still scrolled down this far, then...uhm...congrats?_

_Well, you spoiled yourself._

_Read the tags and beware of the warnings please_ _:_

_• Adult-content_

_• Angst and gore_

• _Heavy violence_

_• False attempts_

_• Threats and misations_

_• Dark humor_

_If you're sensitive to anything I have mentioned (in this chapter or in the tags), do not read._

_Otherwise, enjoy!_ _♡_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Disclaimer:**  
I do not own BTS, GOT7 or any other character mentioned in this story. All rights go to their rightful owner.
> 
> Wattpad: @shanubi  
Twitter: @shanubi1


	2. Surfaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just found out that our baby Jungoo had a car accident. First my dad, then my mom, then my bias-wrecker. (Don't worry, all of them are fine!)  
Anyways, welcome to another round of lord-what-is-happening-time with me! :D

**Recommended song:**

**Allie X - Fresh Laundry**

**-**

_For years I had wondered about the reason for why humans and wolves never considered living together again._

_What was the separation for?_

_After meeting him, my lover. After visiting a village and witnessing that wolves owned a lot in common with us, humans._

_I had always wondered but now I knew._

_I finally got to face the true and only reason why those opposite kinds could never live together in peace again. _

_It was power._

_Wolves were very powerful, be it in their human or their animal form. They were physically stronger and bigger in build. They had the ability to control a human mind and needed no weapon to cause an assassination on multiple people at once. They owned a lot dominance when it came to strength. And humans were afraid of everything that was stronger than them._

_They saw wolves as an unneeded threat, an avoidable risk._

_Humans feared what they couldn't control. They feared everything that reached above their reality's limits._

_And they feared wolves because of the unbalanced scale of strength between both kinds._

_Was it really strength?_

_Humans could never trust wolves, not after what they had been through._

_Wolves could have taken over the entire world easily a long time ago. But they never did. Because good ones existed too. Not as many as bad ones, but they existed. However, no human believed that. No human, except for me. I was unaware of the situation in my town. I didn't know what had happened after I left._

_But I knew one thing._

_One of them was waiting for me._

-

"Wake up", a deep voice was the first thing I heard before coming back to my senses. I regained my body control and immediately felt the weakened state I had been in. I looked around to find myself in the middle of the forest, surrounded by two males and a few wolves. I then remembered, exhaling deeply.

"Where are we?", I asked, looking at the black haired man who was looking down at me. He formed a strange smile and looked over at the other one. I couldn't recall their names, not sure if I even wanted to.

"Could be your home or your graveyard. You decide", he replied and chuckled. I couldn't understand what exactly of his reply had made him laugh, making me frown back at him. I lowered my gaze and took this time to analyze my current state. With the policeman's jacket still on me, I saw all the dirt and dried blood over my clothes and my hands. Not knowing what my face looked like, I pushed my anxiety aside and placed a hand over my belly. I closed my eyes, reassuring my child that we'd be fine, that I was gonna protect us. My only hope was that it could understand and believe me.

"Is everyone here?", suddenly the brown haired man asked and looked around the place. He seemed to be counting the wolves we were surrounded by before nodding to the other one.

"Let's just begin", the black haired said and grabbed me by my arm, dragging me to another place.

"Hey! What are you doing?!", I was struggling to free myself, only to remind myself that there was no point in protesting against a wolf's grip. We walked for a few minutes past the trees, the others following behind while the pain in my arm was growing bigger. There were so many wolves but to my surprise, I wasn't scared. So many predators that could kill me, but I saw no reason to fear them. This was a strange development, but one that was helping me stand on both feet. We then stopped at the surface of a hill, a grassy slope that seemed to be leading to a painful trip to the lower ground if anyone was to be pushed down.

"Are you ready for a game?", the black haired man asked as he finally released his tight grip from my aching limb. I turned around to face the group, leaving the sight of the slope behind me. I switched my stare from one man to another, not knowing if I wanted to answer his question.

"Your friends killed our leader which means we need a new one. And a wolf can only become a leader when he proves his worth with strength", the brown haired man started to explain. I internally cursed at the fact of forgetting their names but kept listening. The other one then crossed his arms and continued, "wolves will be hunting for a prey and fight each other. The first wolf that captures the prey will become the leader".

I could feel it, my heart began to race in my chest. There could be only one meaning, one I hoped was not their actual intention.

"You will be the prey", he added.

There was no way I was going to join their little game but refusal seemed to be no option for me.

"The rules are simple. We will grant you some time to hide before the hunting begins. Just be quiet and do not anger any wolf", the brown haird male formed a strange smile, as if he already knew the outcome of this game. The other man then stepped forward, taking two large steps before he stood in front of me.

"Let the game begin", he said quietly before his hand met my chest, giving it a firm push. The scene grew slower as my body fell backwards, my feet losing the ground. The last thing I could see were the males watching me fall before my hair blocked my view. And it didn't take me too long before feeling my back collide with the ground, using my arms to cover my head as I rolled down the hill. When I landed at the lower ground, my back was facing the sky. A low groan left my lips while I tried to raised myself. My head was spinning, my bones aching from the impact. They had really pushed me down this hill without considering my child's well-being.

I managed to stand on all fours, placing a hand over my belly. I exhaled deeply and stood on my knees. I checked myself for any injures but found only a few scratches. And when I looked up, none of the Gosens remained in their previous position. They were all gone, the game had begun. I had to hide. I muttered a curse and took off my jacket, knowing it could distract some of the wolves since my scent was all over this piece of clothing. I threw it to the ground and stood up. With one hand over my belly, I marched further into the forest and tried to spot a well hiding place. It could be a large tree or a small cave. However, I knew how this game was going to end.

Being forced into playing this ridiculous game was bad enough, being eaten alive felt even worse. After a short time of tired walking, I came across a large tree that had an opening at its bottom. The opening was big enough to fit myself in and there was a strong smell of wood, which could provide me with some scent coverage. I crawled inside the tree and leaned my back against the wet wood, pulling my knees close to my chest. I then exhaled deeply, not knowing how long I would have to stay in this place. My eyes began to close slowly, I had been too tired. Placing my forehead over my knees, I couldn't help but fall asleep.

-

My entire body jolted at the sudden sound of a deep growl in the distance. I raised my head and noticed how the forest had been painted in an beautiful orange, thinking that the sun must be setting. Another sound reminded me of why I had woken up to which I pulled my knees even closer to my body, covering my mouth with my hands. I didn't want to be caught, I didn't want this to be our end. I could hear the panting of an animal, loud and clear. And it was nearing me. I pressed my eyes shut, my heart racing in my chest. Just as the wolf neared the tree, there was a loud growl followed by loud thuds, the sound of rustling leaves and a whining wolf. Then an unexpected silence approached the scene, to which I opened my eyes. Nothing could be seen, only the sight of the forest.

I could only assume that another wolf attacked the one before but I didn't know whether it killed the wolf or not. I asked myself if they were really going to kill each other or just attacked one another until one of them retreated. Hearing a breaking branch, I felt my heart skip a beat. The predator was still here and aware of my presence. I closed my eyes again, my knees shaking. I had lost all the previous confidence, knowing my child was in great danger. It was silent again, feeling the rhythm of my heart in my chest. Just when I thought of opening my eyes, a strong jaw caught me by my leg and forcefully pulled me out of the tree. I screamed at the sudden impact, my exposed skin not liking the roughness of the ground.

When the wolf released his jaw from my leg, I dared to take in the view. I couldn't count the wolves, but there were a lot of them. All of them standing in the back with thair heads hanging low, there was only one brown wolf who got a straight posture. And in the very front, very close to me and responsibly for the pain in my leg, stood a large black wolf. I slowly sat up and finally understood. They weren't going to kill me, one of them was only supposed to find me first. Assuming the black wolf was chosen as the next leader, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. The black wolf then turned to face the others and growled, telling them all to leave. The brown wolf hesitated a little before he joined the pack. I then watched the black wolf lower himself.

"Are you serious?", I asked, not moving a single muscle. The wolf threw me a stare, growling deeply in response. However, I refused to listen and stood up. My leg was out of function for now but I knew I could manage to walk. The only issue was that I didn't know which direction I had to go and how far our destination was.

"Alright, fine", I said quietly and climbed on top of the wolf's back. Not for me, but for infant inside of me. I held onto his fur tightly, feeling him lift himself from the ground before he began running.

-

I bursted my eyes open, panting heavily while I sat up. I placed a hand over my forehead, realising how much I had been sweating. It was then I noticed that I was on a bed, inside of a dark room. When I recalled my last memories, I figured that I had passed out while sitting on the wolf's back. The exhaustion must have grown too strong, I couldn't control my body anymore. I sighed deeply and just when I wanted to lie down again, I heard someone taking a step. And that someone was in the room with me. I gasped after taking note of the dark figure in the other side of the room, not knowing for how long it was standing there.

"Reveal yourself!", I yelled and watched the figure step into the light immediately. The room was so poorly lit that I had to wait for the person to come closer before I could recognize a woman. She had long black hair and wore a black dress. But the expression on her face was concering, she seemed rather sad than displeased to see me.

"Who are you?", I asked while eyeing the still standing woman. She stepped closer to the nightstand next to the bed and igniting a match, connecting the little flame with the wick of a white candle. This allowed me to meet her features, the beauty on her face was covered by heavy sorrow.

"Who I am doesn't matter. Who you are does. A human with a hybrid child", she then replied, taking a seat on the bed I was lying on. She looked comfortable so I wondered whether she was a human or a wolf. But that wasn't my concern, her words were.

"Do you even know in what danger you have put yourself into?", the tone in her voice made her question sound unanswerable but that wasn't the case for me. I tried to sound confident as I replied, "I know everything I need to know".

"Do you really?", she asked and tilted her head slightly to the side. I figured that she knew a lot more than I did, thinking she might give answers to my questions, "why am I here?".

"Because I have the feeling that you are unaware of many things", her reply was quick, this must really be the reason why I had been brought to this damned place. I unintentionally placed my hand over my belly, catching her attention before she spoke, "don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm an alpha, not a monster".

My eyes widened, it was the first time I had ever seen a female alpha. I wondered if there were any other alphas who were going to introduce themselves in a creepy way as well. The woman crossed her legs, a sign of a comfortable posture before a beginning with a story.

"There is a reason we don't let humans near us. They never listen. Maybe you're different", she was putting her thoughts to words, she really found another way to ask for my attention.

"Do you know why humans and wolves don't live together anymore?", with her forearms over her thigh, she raised an eyebrow and waited for a response.

"People believe that a wolf killed his human lover. But I know that it wasn't him who killed her, it was your ancestors", I stated. Only a few seconds ago, I was so sure that I was right. But when I saw her expression change this dramatically, I had little doubt.

"What?", there was a deep frown over her face but it wasn't anger, it was pure confusion. She then sighed and began to tell, "it was neither her lover, nor our ancestors that killed her. It was the child she was carrying. They didn't know that a wolf requires the warmth of both parents during pregnancy. The dad has to be present so the mother and the child can be kept warm for as long as possible".

"What?".

"Oh, I thought you knew everything".

There was a short round of silence, her words had irritated me. But not because she was teasing me, because I knew I had to listen to her. The more I found out, the better I could prepare myself.

"What about the medicine?", I asked.

"What medicine?", again, she seemed just as confused as before. I was not only embarrassing myself but embarrassing my title as an alpha's mate.

"The medicine that would help me survive this pregnancy", I said.

She wasn't saying anything, her eyes looked to the side before meeting mine again, "what are you even talking about?".

That was it, I had enough. I spoke loud and clear this time, not caring about the fact that she was an alpha and just as dangerous as a male alpha, "Namjoon told me there was a medicine. That's how his mother died!".

The woman seemed unbothered by the tone of my voice, shaking her head slowly in disbelief before she replied, "that hybrid sold you a lie".

"But he told me his father came to you for the medicine and that you killed him".

"Wrong. His father came to ask for approval. We agreed to let them keep the child but he had to bring him, once it had hit the age of an adult. Even thought we had given him permission, even though he had chewed the law, he had the audacity to refuse. So we captured him until he would change his mind. He later died of starvation. Not because we gave him no food, because he was too proud to accept our food-", she stated.

I hadn't noticed that my lips were separeted, I couldn't quite comprehend the shock I was experiencing.

"-When it comes to his mother, her death was caused by nothing but her child itself".

"What do you mean?", I asked. I could feel my heart racing in my chest again, these anxious feelings weren't healthy for the little life I was carrying. The woman then leaned in closer to me and explained, "your survival doesn't depend on some made up medicine. It completely depends on your child".

A faint gasp had made its way through my lips, my wide eyes staring back into her dark orbs. She then leaned back again and continued, "this pregnancy isn't like the ones of the humans. A wolf child can already sense its surroundings. The more love and warmth it senses, the higher the chance is for you to survive as it will love and protect you. But if the child keeps sensing fear and the absence of the father's warmth, it will starting growing hatred and anger. It will want to get out and kill you from the inside".

A warm tear ran down my cheek and when I blinked, more fell down. The woman raised her hand and wiped away my tears as she went on, "our very first lovers didn't know that, of course. They didn't care enough for the child and both had to pay with their lifes. Being a parent isn't that easy, is it?".

"Why are you telling me all of this?", I finally managed to speak but my body was still, I couldn't move and felt paralyzed with fear. She kept her hand over my cheek while she replied, "becuase you are the one who took my position. It was me who was supposed to carry this child".

"What?", my voice broke down, I really didn't know if I wanted to keep listening to her. Even her expression saddened when she lowered her hand again. But she insisted on carrying on, "your mate, he was here a long time ago. He came to us, completely hopeless and worn out. He told me about his parents and asked for help. I couldn't just take him into our pack so he asked if he could be my mate, if that would let him stay with us. He was still young so I asked where his home was and this way we figured where Namjoon was hiding. I was aware of Namjoon's story but I didn't know how serious it was. They were determined to bring Namjoon to us but they came back with injuries. We were told Namjoon wasn't there, assuming Jungkook had lied. Jungkook insisted on bringing Namjoon himself and promised to return, but he never did".

Her eyes moved to the window, watching the sunless sky that had turned into a dark purple, "he promised me he'd return. But instead, I am told that he impregnated a human. I've waited so long, only to be betrayed".

She then looked at me again, her eyes were looking for sympathy, "I never gave up hope, I believed he'd return. But I waited for nothing".

Raising herself from the bed, she turned around and walked to the door. She then stopped and turned her head enough to look at me through the corners of her eyes, "you're here because my brother wanted to hurt Jungkook the same way Jungkook hurt me. I was against it but he was the leader. And now he's dead too, so I don't know what they're gonna do with you".

I wiped away my tears but felt only more fall down, I couldn't bring myself to calm down. She took in my condition, being able to sense my emotions, "there's a reason why Jungkook chose you. I won't step against fate. If it has your names written next to each other, no one in this world can separate you".

She opened the door and turned to look at me one last time, "I'll bring you some clothes and something to eat. You two must be starving".

With that, she left the room and closed the door behind her. I was left alone with a wrecked mind and exhausted soul. I thought back of everything she told me, none of it was matching with the other enlightenments I had heard. Namjoon's parents, the fake medicine and Jungkook's promise. I didn't know what to believe and even if, I didn't know if I was ready. It was painful, to find out that I had been lied to by the people I trusted.

-

About an hour later the mysterious woman came back with clean clothes and a bowl of warm soup. She also handed me over a wet towel so I could wipe off the dirt and blood on my skin. This way I took note of the bandage around my leg, someone must have treated the wound the black wolf left behind. After changing into clean clothes, a pair of black pants and an oversized red sweater, I sat back on the bed and drank from the small bowl. I couldn't tell what kind of soup it was but it did taste good, enjoying the warm liquid feeding my hunger. The female alpha had brought a chair into the room this time, watching me quietly. I appreciated her kindness but wasn't sure how to put it into words. I lowered the bowl and met her dark eyes before I spoke, "will you tell me your name?".

Her expression was displaying hesitation but she eventually gave in and replied, "just call me Lee".

She was staring at me in such a strange way. Her look and her actions weren't matching. While her stare told me that she wished for nothing but my death, she actions had provided me with food and clean clothes. Maybe it wasn't me who she was mad at. After all, she owned a past with Jungkook, who was currently my mate. She didn't ask for my name, nor my age. She wasn't interested in me, but in the infant. She kept her eyes on me the entire time and when the soup was finished, I decided to ask, "do you have to watch me?".

I wondered whether she was told to watch over me by the leader but she mistook my curiosity with thinking I didn't like her presence. Watching her shift in her seat, she inhaled deeply before she replied, "I didn't mean to bother you. It's just-".

Without finishing her sentence, Lee looked away. This only told me to force the words out of her, "what is it?".

"I just can't believe Jungkook gave you this child. He put you in such danger. With your conditions, there was no way you could survive this pregnancy", she explained without meeting my gaze. She was mentioning him again and whenever she did, I couldn't help but frown. My silent respond must have irritated her, causing her to snap her head towards me before she asked, "do you even know why he did that?-".

I knew, but I was aware that what I knew was also going to be false. So instead of replying, I decided to keep listening to her.

"-He needed someone. He knew we would come back for him one day, so he needed someone. Because he knows I would never harm a child".

This couldn't be it, this couldn't be true. Jungkook would never. He wouldn't.

"Of course, he wouldn't tell you", she added and raised herself from the chair. Whatever her intention was, she wasn't going to make it. I wasn't going to let her ruin my relationship with Jungkook. I could feel my hearting sinking again, her words really managed to cut through my heart. Lee took the empty bowl and walked to the door. She then stopped at the door and without turning around, she spoke, "if you really thought he did it for love, you were wrong".

And again, she left me with a devastated mind. I sighed deeply and leaned back to the wall behind me. Maybe she was trying to make me grow hatred for Jungkook, maybe she wanted me to give up on him. But why would she? I could remember the strange feeling I felt the moment I saw Jungkook for the first time, even he had felt the same. Fate had chosen us to be together. And I wasn't going to let anybody even try to change that.

-

A loud noise woke me up from my sleep, my body jolting at the sudden sound. I slowly raised my body to a sitting position, taking in the darkness of the room. I didn't know what time it was but it surely must have been past midnight. There was another strange sound, followed by something that sounded like a group of people running. I looked over to the door, I didn't know where it was leading to. I didn't even know where I was and didn't care enough to ask. Presuming that the door was locked, I told myself to go back to sleep. But on the other side, I really wanted to check the other side. And without wasting any other time, I stood up from the bed and walked over to the door. I placed my hand around the doorknob and turned it, gasping softly when the door actually opened.

I peeked out of the room, seeing a large hallway decorated with lamps attached to the wall with about a meter distance between each lamp. Both ends of this hallway were leading to different hallways. I could get lost or caught easily, but I had to try and take this chance. I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me quietly. Just then I heard someone approaching my position, in a very fast speed that no alarmed person would walk. The person was coming from my right but I kept staring at the door, I couldn't move a single muscle as the thought of being punished crossed my mind. And then the person stopped, forcing me to face him slowly. I met a pair of blue eyes, a familiar face and a large scar on the face.

"Wait, I know you", I said, feeling all of my muscles relax again. The other male formed a little smile as he looked me up and down and replied, "of course, you do. You left your work of art on my face, after all".

He pointed at his face, the skin still red from the silver stake I had thrown at him back in the old church. Another loud noise in the distance distracted us before the male pointed towards the direction he had come from, "this way".

He then began to walk away, forcing me to follow him quickly. I didn't know where he was taking me, I didn't even know why I had agreed to follow him.

"What's going on?", I asked and watched the other wolf face me while keeping the same speed, "there is a group of wolves surrounding the building. The number of wolves is large so everyone went outside in all cases. Everyone, except for me".

"Why didn't you go?", I had to ask, his last statement sounded as if he wanted me to ask him. We took a right turn into another hallway that appeared to be darker than the previous one.

"Because I know they are here for you", he replied and stopped at once. I almost bumped into him but managed to hold myself in time. I didn't know who he was talking about. Was it Namjoon and the others? Or maybe wolves from another village that heard about me.

"Look, if it wasn't for you, I'd be dead", he spoke so quickly that it took me quite a few seconds to grasp his excuse to betray his own pack. I had stopped Jungkook from killing him, I had basically saved his life. And he had remembered and was willing to return the favor.

"You granted me a chance to run away, so I will do the same. But for this time only", he explained and opened a wooden door that lead into a dark and small hallway. He motioned me to go inside before he added, "this will lead straight to the forest. Just keep going until you feel another door".

I looked into the dark hallway, knowing damn well I had to grope myself to the exit. But again, there was no other choice. I was granted an escape, so I had to take it. I turned to look at the wolf, forming a soft smile before showing him my gratitude.

"Thank you", I said and saw him nod in response. Once I stepped inside the dark hallway, he closed the door behind me and left me in complete darkness. I stretched my arms out, feeling the walls close to me as I began walking forwards. With one palm feeling the brittle wall on my right, my other arm was stretched forwards. I didn't plan on walking into a door so I kept my other hand ready in any case. The dark corridor began growing smaller and smaller, to the point the walls around me were the same size of a door. The air felt colder, which also meant that I was nearing the exit.

"Just a little more", I told myself, trying to encourage my body to move forward. And then, my hand felt the solid object. I groped for the door handle and felt the cold material before opening the door. The moonlight was the first detail my eyes got to witness before spotting another figure a few feet ahead of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BITCH THIS RICH TEXT FOOKING SLAPS-
> 
> Btw, I am so confused. When written in fanfics, do you write her name as in Je-iun or Jeiun? I have no idea, man.


	3. Above The Depth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I took this long to update but I was sick and then it was my birthday and-  
I really am trying my best (I am not stressing myself haha) and want to update at least once a week. I am such a bad author :'(  
Also, don't forget to read **Hidden Claws | Jimin's Story**!!!  
Please, enjoy!

**Recommended song:**

**Allie X - Simon Says**

**-**

The moonlight was bright enough for me to watch her still standing features. She wasn't moving, all she did was stare back at me with the same strange expression. But she had caught me, there was no other way for me to escape. This could be over.

"Please", I whispered, placing one hand over my belly. I was scared, knowing my baby felt my emotions. And I was scared because she was powerful, she could take away everything from me. However, she slowly began approaching my paralyzed body as she spoke, "don't worry, I'm not here to stop you".

There might have been a slight wave of relief but not big enough for me to ease my nerves. Her kindness scared me the most, owning alot of power but hiding it underneath a still posture.

"I'm here to ask you for a favor", she then explained and stopped in front of me. I didn't reply, I simply couldn't. It felt as if any wrong movement or response could end the life of us both. I watched her raise both hands, seeing a leather bracelet in her palms. She was looking down at it as she spoke, "could you bring this back to Jungkook? This was the promise for his return but I no longer need it".

Never had I thought the mention of a name in a specific sentence to be this painful. If her tales happened to be true, if all of that really happened. Wait, I didn't want to think about it. Assuming she was giving me this bracelet to make her story more believable, I accepted her request. There was only one way to find out, I had to show this bracelet to Jungkook. I nodded my head and took the bracelet from her hands. Without another word, Lee stepped aside and granted me back my escape. This felt strange, they had killed so many people to find me but here she was letting me go as if nothing mattered. Maybe it didn't matter to her but again, she had no right to decide for me. She wasn't the leader of the Gosens but maybe she held another important role. Whatever her deal was, I didn't want to know. All I wanted was to leave this place. I then walked past her and began making my way into the dark forest. That was until I heard her call after me, "keep in mind-".

I stopped at once and turned around. With that movement I also took note that I had been in a large mansion. The building appeared to be bigger than it felt from the inside. Lee turned to face me, our eyes meeting once again.

"-We will meet again".

And for the first time, I saw her forming a smile. It was a nice change but not one I preferred to witness at this moment. I didn't realize how deeply I was breathing, feeling my heart racing again. There was a slight frown over my face, concerned and confused at her words. I internally disagreed with her statement and turned around again. I was going to leave this place, and I was going to do it now. I shoved the bracelet into the pocket of my pants and began running further into the forest, leaving the enemy behind. It was dark but the moonlight shined brightly, I could see everything. Even the dark animal that stood many meters ahead of me.

I gasped and stopped instantly, looking around for a hiding spot. But the wolf had taken note of my presence, growling deeply before it started nearing me. I spotted a large tree and quickly ran to it, placing my back against the oak while trying to calm my breathing. Could this be the end? Was I going to be killed right here or taken back to the mansion first? The wolf was black so all I could think of was the leader of the Gosens. I thought of trying to fight back but there was no way I could defend myself in this condition. I was way too weak and scared, not only for me but for the little life I was carrying.

Everything felt worse when knowing my choices were going to affect two lives from now on. I closed my eyes tightly as the predator approached the tree. I could hear it crunching the leaves as it stepped closer and closer. The heavy panting was clear now, the animal must have been running for a while. Placing both hands over my belly, I began praying internally. But just then I heard a soft whimper, opening my eyes in an instant. I was quick to analyze the wolf, it had black fur but golden eyes. And only a few seconds later, I could recognize the person behind this animal.

"Jimin", I whispered as I began tearing up. Meeting a familiar person filled me a needed warmth and comfort. Jimin stepped closer and watched me cover my face with shaking hands. I had never thought to be this happy to see someone who once threatened to kill me. He sniffed my belly before gently rubbing his head against my body. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck, crying into his fur.

"I'm so glad to see you", my muffled voice was understandable to which the wolf replied with a quiet whine. This guy was really more honest when in animal form. The last time I saw him was at the hospital, before leaving him behind to join the enemy. He must have been glad to find me again in one piece. Suddenly his head turned into the direction I came from to which I let go of his neck. He immediately sat on the ground, he wanted me to climb on him. I swung one leg over his back and held tightly onto his fur before he raised himself and dashed into the forest. My only assumption was that we were heading towards the village which was beneficial since I had a few questions to ask. This could have ended so much worse but surprisingly, I was safe and sound.

My eyes began to feel heavy, this sleep deprivation was slowly getting to me. I leaned in forwards and placed my torso over Jimin's furred back, closing my eyes next. This position felt cozy but I couldn't sleep now, not before making sure I entered the village. I didn't know for how long Jimin had been running but when I heard voices, I raised myself again. And then I could see it, the familiar buildings of the village, wolves standing by the entrance. I wondered if they had all been waiting for our arrival but my attention shifted to another person. He stood in the centre, all by himself, his wide eyes scanning us, his lips slightly parted, his body moving right and left.

"There you are", I whispered and formed a very weak smile as Jimin brought me closer to the awaiting alpha. Jungkook was then approaching us, the distance between us growing smaller and smaller each step. It had only been a day but it felt like I had waited for this reunion for decades. My mind was going blank, I couldn't hold onto Jimin's fur anymore. Jungkook had his arms spread, he was ready to help me get off. And just when I held out my hands, my heavy eyes blocked my vision. The last thing I felt was being caught by a pair of strong arms before everything went silent.

-

I opened my eyes slowly, exhaling deeply before I noticed the slight movement below my head. I raised my head and rubbed the sleep off of my eyes, seeing an exposed torso very close to my face. There were scars around the chest, the muscles moving at every breath. I blinked at the naked body for a few seconds before getting into a sitting position. My jaw dropped a little when I figured I had been sleeping over Jungkook's chest, on Jungkook's bed, in Jungkook's house, and I didn't know how it came to this. Even though I was only wearing a top, my entire body was covered in sweat. But that was no surprise, the other person on the bed was a living heater, after all.

I sighed deeply and took this time to take in the features of this man. The every rise and fall of his chest, his slightly parted lips, the mess his hair was in. He was sleeping peacefully, no worries, no discomfort and no issues. His air was leaving through his mouth, his head facing my side. My cheeks flushed when I thought of this man to be my mate. Girls should really start considering to date a wolf guy, I thought. I couldn't help but laugh at my own thoughts, quickly covering my mouth when Jungkook's brows frowned. He shifted in his position and faced the ceiling, rubbing his face with one hand. He then opened his eyes, his dark orbs finally meeting mine.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you", I said as I watched the wolf slowly raise himself.

"No, it's fine. We were supposed to get up early, anyway", he replied and leaned back on the headboard of his bed. My eyes fell upon the scars around his chest, placing my hand over the large one in the middle.

"Does it still hurt?", I asked and curved my eyebrows, seeing him like this was hurting my heart. He took hold of my hand and kissed the backside of it before he replied, "no, it doesn't. These scars will fade away too so don't worry about me".

He leaned in closer and moved my hair to the side, revealing the neck burn that had healed a little. He took a look on the skin before facing me again.

"It seems that the effect of my bite is wearing off. Your neck scar hasn't healed much-", he explained to which I traced my fingertips over the dry skin.

"-I need to bite you again", he quickly added and was already pulling me down over the bed, not allowing me to protest.

"Wait, it's not a one time thing?", I asked and felt my back over the soft mattress. Jungkook hovered over me and replied, "no, you're naturally a human so your blood cells kill off the foreign antibodies over the time. I'm surprised you didn't know that".

"Does that mean you have to bite me over and over again?", I asked, thinking about the painful sensation the bite was sending through my entire neck. I turned my head to the side, unintentionally submitting myself to the wolf's fangs.

"Yes", he replied before shoving his teeth into the skin that was covered by the burnt mark. I could already feel the pain. The only time I would enjoy this treatment would be the time I confirmed myself to be a masochist. Which meant never. I left a quiet groan when the wolf finally removed his teeth, licking over the bleeding skin to clean the marked area.

"It's done", he informed and removed himself from my neck, only to sit inbetween my legs. I could feel my face burning after I observed the position we were in.

"What are you doing?", I asked and watched him lift the hem of my top, exposing my belly to his eyes. He then placed both of his hands over the skin, closing his eyes. The only thing I could do was watch him in complete silence, wondering whether I should judge him internally or put it into words. I had just woken up and was already feeling uncomfortable. Jungkook then opened his eyes and formed a smile before covering my belly again.

"It seems to be healthy", he was talking about the baby, about its health condition. I couldn't help but frown when everything hit me at once, the memories I had completely brushed off. The mansion, Lee's words and the bracelet. I quickly sat up and faced Jungkook, "what happened last night?".

Jungkook stood up from the bed and took his shirt into his hands as he replied, "you don't remember? You were brought to the village but fell unconscious. You were just really exhausted so it's nothing serious".

I could recall the scene, Jungkook standing next to me. He had his arms open, he was going to take me into his embrace. That was, of course, before my body gave in and dragged me into an unwanted slumber. I really must have been lacking sleep, the amount of times I had passed out was slowly began to concern me. Jungkook was now wearing a black sweater and sat down on the bed before he spoke, "I was really worried, (y/n). You don't know how I felt when I saw you on Jimin's back".

This meant only one thing. He wasn't part of the wolf pack that had come to the mansion. I decided to ask him, I really wanted to know what had caused his absence during last night's encounter.

"Why did you not go with the others?", I asked.

"I wanted to but Namjoon said the risk of me starting a battle was too high", he replied. I blinked in confusion, that didn't quite seem like a reason for me but more like an excuse. However, Jungkook was quick to elaborate, "there was a high chance for me to turn wicked if I had seen an enemy".

"What do you mean 'wicked'?", I then asked. And this time, I was unsure whether I should feed my curiosity or not. Jungkook only smiled, sighing deeply before he began, "when an alpha loses their mate, they can become wicked. They won't be able to control their anger and will violate and damage their surroundings. The only way to stop them is to give them back their mate or, which is mostly the outcome, kill them".

I could display the image of it, of a wolf attacking everything and everyone that got near them. It wasn't much different from whenever I would lose my phone. There was one difference though, I wouldn't kill anyone. Suddenly my thoughts wandered back to Lee, her expression and the bracelet she had given me. This accessory belonged to Jungkook. But now was not the time to give it back, just not now.

"When Jimin told us that you had gone with the Gosens, I thought of the worst things that could happen to you-", Jungkook was talking but I wasn't listening. I couldn't when other thoughts took over my mind. The fact that there was no such thing as a medicine that was going to help me survive, it was the father's presence, "-why did you even go with them? Why did you leave Jimin's side?".

Namjoon's father died of the consequences caused by his own pride. His mother was left alone with the baby, to which she was killed by her own child. A child.

"(y/n)?", I snapped back into reality after feeling a firm hand over my shoulder. Jungkook's big eyes were looking into mine, searching for any hint of discomfort or pain. He could read the devastation in my head, the question marks and the endless maze. I was simply lost and he knew that.

"Are you okay?", he then asked. Knowing that I had to reply quickly if I didn't want to wake any suspicion, I nodded and said the first thing that came into mind, "I just wonder how my parents are doing".

"I can take you to them if you like", Jungkook's offer came so suddenly, as if he didn't even consider it.

"Really?".

"Yes, but we have to see Namjoon first", he then explained and stood up from the bed. He handed me over the red sweater I had received from Lee before he added, "I'm sure they're waiting for us".

Jungkook was watching me while I put on the piece of clothing and only a few seconds later, he finally released the issue on his mind, "did they touch you?".

"Hm?", while adjusting my clothes and hair, I turned to look at the standing alpha. His facial features were still, he was expecting an honest reply.

"You carry multiple scents over your body but there is a strong scent that belongs to another alpha male. And one of an alpha female", his dark eyes looked me up and down while I blinked back in confusion. The only thing I could think of was that I required a shower as soon as possible.

"And you-...you sensed all of that?", I asked. It amazed me how specifically he could tell apart even the genders of the scent's owners. But according to his cold stare, he was waiting for another response. I left the bed and stood close to him when I quickly added, "and no, they did not do anything to me. They pushed me down a hill, though, but that wasn't so bad".

"They pushed you down a hill?", Jungkook asked and took a step closer. I almost wished for my phone so I could take a photo of this memorable face of his. I smiled softly when I replied, "yeah".

-

Feeling the stares of the other wolves on us, I held tightly onto Jungkook's hand. They didn't seem to be displeased but curious. We were the talk of the village for a while now. Jungkook knocked on Namjoon's door a few times before he opened it and stepped aside for me to take the lead. The first figure I came across was Jimin, he had his arms crossed but formed a side smile when our eyes met. I then took note of Taehyung who was wearing a suit and stood on both feet. My eyes widened at his sight, he was alive. He bowed politely and formed a welcoming smile. And then I saw him, with his back turned to us. I heard Jungkook closing the door behind me while Namjoon turned around and motioned me to take a seat at his couch. He did the same across of me and placed his forearms over his thighs before he began, "welcome back, (y/n). I'm glad to see you unharmed".

The room was quiet for a moment while Namjoon and I exchanged stares, as if we were the only ones who knew about a big secret. Which was, in fact, true. Taehyung stood on my left while Jimin leaned against the wall on my right. Jungkook positioned himself behind the couch I was sitting on, all of them joined the meeting but didn't take part of the conversation. At least, not for now. The only thing I wondered was whether I should express my true thoughts, or keep them all to myself until I would lose my sanity.

"I don't know where to begin but there are some things we have to talk about", Namjoon then added, sighing deeply as if he was talking against his own will.

"I didn't know Jungkook and you were true mates since he diceded to keep that from us-", Namjoon threw Jungkook a quick stare of disappointment before meeting my gaze again, "-true mates only occur when wolves see a very short moment of their future when meeting for the first time. Technically, you can't see such thing since you're not a wolf but you must have felt something when you two met, right?".

"Yes", I replied quietly, recalling the time it felt as if a lightning that had struck the two of us when I found him in the forest. Namjoon didn't waste any time and continued, "my voice is nothing compared to fate's. If it chose you two to be together, I cannot step against it".

He then leaned backwards on his couch, his next words sounding as if he was forcing himself to speak, "in fact, we have to make sure you two stay together".

Silence. No one said a word, no one made a comment, not even Jimin. My wide eyes shifted over to Taehyung who was smiling back at me, then I looked over to Jimin and he, of course, was avoiding eye contact. Lastly, I turned to Jungkook who was smiling down at me. I then faced Namjoon again and asked, "I'm sorry, I'm kind of lost. What exactly does this mean?".

"You and Jungkook will officially become a pair", Namjoon explained.

Jimin's exhaled chuckle could be heard in the large room. I could feel it, my anger was rising. But this time, I wasn't planning on holding back.

"It was that easy? Just saying we're true mates changes everything?", I asked loudly, pronouncing the words 'true mates' in a mocking way. Namjoon leaned forwards again, he could feel my building rage but he ignored it, "well, yes-".

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!", I yelled out loud as my entire body rose from the couch. I felt Jungkook's hand over my shoulder while Jimin turned to make sure he was operational if needed. Namjoon raised both eyebrows, he was caught off guard by the tone of my voice.

"Calm down, (y/n)", Jungkook's voice was calm but his words wore a warning. However, I refused to listen to anyone and shouted, "you sent him to death!-".

"(y/n)", another warning came from Jungkook, only to be ignored once again, "-only because he has done what your father did!".

And right here, right now, I freezed the frame. Only to go over all the things that had been lurking in my head. The backstories, the lies, the confessions and the outcome. It was now or never for me. If I wanted peace, I had to go through this battle first.

"What?", Jimin was the first to break the silence in the room. But his eyes weren't fixed on me, they were fixed on his leader. Jungkook removed his hand from me and moved to the front side of the couch, standing on my left now. Meanwhile, Taehyung kept switching glances from Namjoon to the three of us.

"I know everything, Namjoon-", I then began, collecting all of the courage I had left and continued, "-and I believe they have the right to do so too".

Namjoon exhaled deeply and lowered his head, he was at a loss of words.

"I knew this day would come", he muttered and ran his fingers through his silver hair. Jimin was now aware of the seriousness of this conversation and stepped closer. All Namjoon did was motion us all to sit down before he began. Taehyung remained on his feet while the three of us squeezed on the couch. Having both alphas on either side of me, with their legs spreading wide and their broad shoulders almost trapping me, I felt smaller than ever.

"Before I start explaining, I just want you to know one thing. Everything I did was to protect this village", this was the first time I heard Namjoon speaking in such a tone. He was approaching this situation carefully, as if one mistake could shatter years of built trust, "It's true, my dad mated a human. He left to bring my mother a special medicine after she grew weaker during the pregnancy but he never came back. So my mother died while giving birth. I know I should have told you guys sooner but I feared of being abandoned by my own people".

"Why would we abandon you?", Taehyung asked softly, he sounded rather hurt than disappointed.

"Because I'm a hybrid orphan", there was no hesitation when Namjoon replied. It had been years but it seemed that he still didn't accept himself as who he truly was. Jimin sighed deeply and leaned back on the couch before he asked, "and all this fuss was because...?".

"I didn't want (y/n) to face the same fate as my mother", Namjoon's eyes fell upon me, searching for any sign of forgiveness. But my mind was caught somewhere else, at the repeated mention of the non existent medicine. I wondered whether I should add Lee's words or just let the conversation be as it was. My mind was puzzled, none of the pieces fit together. There were huge gaps, either filled with lies or missing information.

"What medicine are you talking about?", Jungkook then asked, my pregnancy had dragged his curiosity to one certain topic.

"Apparently the human body isn't capable of giving birth to a wolf without facing fatal damages. However, it's said there is a medicine that not only provides the human body with antibodies, but also affects the blood cells and helps it survive while giving birth", Namjoon explained calmly. While Jungkook stared at the ground, observing Namjoon's words, I couldn't help but mentally curse. Who was telling the truth?

"This is irritating", Jimin spat and raised himself from the couch. While Jungkook and I remained silent, Taehyung turned to look at Jimin with one raised eyebrow, "what could possibly cause you irritation?".

Jimin was slightly provoked by the question and was pointing at the three of us while he replied angrily, "all of this. I don't understand any of this!".

"You're not the only one", I added and stood up, leaving the others without another word. I made my way to the front door, hearing Jungkook calling after me before stepping outside. I closed the door and walked down the stairs, only to hear someone opening it again.

"(y/n), wait!", Jungkook called again and jogged to catch up on me. He gently held me by my arm, watching me stop and turn to face him.

"Where are you going?", he asked.

"Home", I replied, seeking for the feeling of my home's warmth. Jungkook took both of my hands into his, his dark eyes staring directly into mine, "you can't leave now, (y/n)".

"Why not? You said I could", I said.

"Yes but not now-".

"But what about my family?", I cut him off. Jungkook took in my words, placed one hand over my belly and replied calmly, "this is your family, (y/n)".

My eyes widened, speechlessly looking down at his hand before meeting his eyes again. He was right, just like he always was. But I couldn't just cut out my parents from my life.

"The last time I let you go, I almost lost you. I'm not doing the same mistake again", Jungkook's hand switched from my belly to my cheek. I really liked his gentle touch but right now I couldn't enjoy it, not with all the chaos in my head.

"I can't just stay here", I said, watching Jungkook frown as he looked away. He was aware that I was right, and he hated not being able to disagree with me.

"I have an idea", suddenly, we heard a deep voice and turned to catch Jimin. According to the frown on his face, he must have been irritated by the tension in Namjoon's house and left the building right after us. He took a step closer as he began explaining, "Jungkook and I will come with you but wait outside your house. Until then, you have to talk to your parents and convince them to accept your wolf-boyfriend".

Both, Jungkook and I blinked in pure silence as we took his idea in consideration before I replied, "that's-".

"Worth a try", Jungkook was quick to cut me off. He turned to face me, revealing the excitement in his smile. Talking of character development, the guy who used to hate humans was not willing to make his friend meet my parents. And the fact that Jungkook was fully committing to this, I wondered if they had planned this beforehand. No matter how scared I was, I couldn't bring myself to turn them down. And so with a nod of my head, I agreed.

-

Here I was, stading all alone by my front door. I exhaled deeply while staring at the doorbell, my finger hovering over the button before I pressed on it for a few seconds. My heartbeat had increased quickly when the sound of the bell rang through the inside of the house. And only a short moment later, someone finally opened the door.

"(y/n)?", with swollen eyes, a tired looking face and tissues in her hand, my mother looked me up and down before covering her mouth. She began crying to which I stepped closer and took her into my warm embrace. I inhaled her scent, her comforting warmth.

"I'm home", I whispered and felt her arms hug me back tightly, as if she never wanted to let go again. We went inside the house and decided to continue the warm reunion in the living room. It took her some time to calm down but eventually, she finally stopped her cries and managed to form stable sentences.

"We were so scared- I have to call your dad and let him know!", she explained and quickly got up, hurrying to the home phone. This felt strange. Even though I had been gone for a day, it felt as if so much had happened. As if I had been gone for years, everything felt foreign. While sitting alone in the room, I noticed the absence of Milo. My mother then came back and informed about my dad's prompt return. 

"Where's Milo?", I then asked while watching her sit down beside me again before she explained, "I left him at my sister's house after hearing what happened. It felt too dangerous for me to bring him here during this time. I hope you don't mind".

I shook my head and smiled, liking her concern for my little friend. I knew that I'd do the same, if I had the choice. A short time later my dad came home with another guest. I stood up as soon as I saw my dad entering the room, his eyes growing wide before he spread his arms. His strong arms were almost cutting off my breath but I stayed still, not wanting to disturb this moment. He then let go and placed both hands over my shoulders.

"Where did you go? Why did you leave the shelters?-", his questions came so fast, reminding me of the fact that I had left a friend back in the shelter. Just when I opened my mouth, my eyes fell on Sheriff Min which reminded me of another friend, a lost friend. My heart sank to my stomach, feeling the need to show condolence to this father.

"I'm sorry about your son", I said quietly and caught Sheriff Min's attention. My dad had let go of my shoulders and stepped aside, watching the Sheriff take off his hat before he spoke, "it's wasn't your fault, kid".

There was a long silence in the room. I couldn't look him in the eyes, I was blaming myself. It was my fault, after all. All of this was my fault, the attack, the deaths of innocent people and the separation of families. Sheriff Min took note of the tension in the air and cleared his throat before he changed the focus on another topic.

"Yesterday's chaos will remain in history and will never be forgotten. The news are all over the world and the government has been informed. They will tell us how to proceed in the next days or weeks. I honestly don't know. Until then, please stay safe", his voice was rough, he must have been devastated. His dark eyes met mine again and he spoke quietly, "I just wish it was me instead of him".

And with this, he put his hat back on and turned to leave. My dad escorted him to the front door while I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are so cute, I must _P R O T E C T_  
By the way, I'll be gone soon for surgical purposes which might take some time (I'm talking about a month here) and won't be able to update. Of course, **health always comes first** and I'm just letting you know so you don't think I forgot about this story or stopped working on it. I'll try to update one more chapter before I go though. There aren't promises but I'll try. Thank you!<3


	4. Revised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOO GUESS WHAT?!?!  
Yes, I did manage to squeeze in one last chapter before leaving>:)  
I had so much fun writing this and hope you'll enjoy it too!

**Recommended song:**

**Camila Cabello - Easy**

**-**

After the attack that took place two days ago, many things had changed in this town. Schools were closed and some people refused to go to work for personal and health reasons. Some required longer to recover, while others were simply still too paranoid. We lived in a world in which occasions like these were common, but the recuperation would always take longer. But for the first time people witnessed wolves fighting their own kind, wolves that had defended humans, wolves that had helped. They were confused, they didn't know who their enemy was. And now was the best time to tell them, to show them a new point of view. Now was the perfect time to share my adventures with my parents. Some time had passed and we settled down to have another deep talk. They seemed calm, slightly affected by the attack but recovered enough to handle the news.

"Mom, dad, there's something I'd like to tell you", I said and watched them both turn their heads to me at the same time. Their eyes were wide, my mom looking like she was about to gasp. For a split second I thought whether to continue but figured that there was no turning back now.

"But it has to stay only between the three of us", I added, my parents exchanging a quick stare with one another before looking at me again. I then leaned in closer and spoke quietly this time, "just promise me that you'll listen till the end".

They both stopped for a second, my dad forming a confused frown while my mother raised both eyebrows. They feared the worst, and I didn't even know what they were expecting of me. But with one deep inhale I began explaining. From the very beginning, till the current situation. I told them everything. I mentioned the car accident, the reason why I struggled, my sudden disappearances, the wolf attack, why I had left the shelter and the mansion. Everything was now enlightened, everything except the pregnancy. I thought that it was too soon for that and skipped it, I had to see their reaction for this much first. And just expected, they were both speechless. Since they had been in a tangle of whether trusting wolves or not, none of them knew how to react.

"Are you saying that-", my dad began, pointing to the window while he stuttered, "-that all of these predators were actually after my daughter?".

I was unsure of why but I had to smile when I heard his strange interpretation, nodding promptly. His lips parted slightly, looking at my mother before facing me again, "and those other wolves are the good ones? Those that fought off the bad ones".

I nodded again. There was a slight wave of relief in me. They were handling this better than I thought they would. My mother was next to open her mouth, I quickly fixed my attention to her before she even spoke, "and your- I mean, the guy you're with. Where is he now?".

She was careful when approaching the biggest issue, the fact that there was a wolf involved in my life and the fact that I managed to keep him hidden this entire time. I felt a little nervous but eventually, I managed to reply calmly, "he's waiting outside".

"Outside?", my mother asked, followed by my father's other question, "waiting?".

"We think it's time you meet him. He's been outside ever since I came here", I explained, trying to avoid their rising panic. My dad looked me straight in the eyes and asked, "do you even know what you're saying?".

"I've been over the first shock", I assured and laughed nervously when I noticed how tense both of them became.

"So, he's outside right now? Outside our house?", my mother asked, covering half of her mouth with her hand.

"Yes", I replied, nodding my head very lightly. Everything had gone smoothly but it seemed that the mention of the wolf's presence brought them a strange kind of worry.

"And you want to bring him inside?", my dad sounded rather concerned than irritated, as if he didn't want to be near any wolf.

"If you allow me, I would love to", I replied, raising myself from the couch only to have my mother jump in immediately and force me to sit back down, "wait! Are you sure about this? I mean, he's-".

"Mom, I promise you. He is a very nice person", I said and formed a reassuring smile. I sighed softly and stood up.

"I know this is a lot but you are my family. I don't wanna have to keep any secrets from you. All I want is you to trust me", I stated calmly and turned towards the door of the living room before turning to face them for the last time, "I'll be right back. Please, just stay calm and don't freak out when you see him".

And with that I exited the living room but hid next to the door frame for a short second. I had to collect myself too, after all. This was a big step for me, something that was going to carve my future. I exhaled quietly and heard them exchanging their thoughts, "do you think this is a good idea?".

"She would never do anything to hurt us. All we can do is trust her", the amount of joy and courage I felt when I heard my mother's reply was indescribable. I hurried upstairs and entered my room. The place was still how I had left it, my bed in a mess, my notes and phone over my desk and my clothes unfolded. The feeling of familiarity was overwhelmingly pleasing. The sun was setting, filling the room with its shine. I walked up to the balcony and slid open one door. The sky was painted with a deep orange blending in with a dark pink. When I stepped outside, I could already spot Jimin leaning against a tree in the forest.

He took note of my appearance and tapped Jungkook, who had crouched down, on the shoulder. Jungkook looked up to see me waving and quickly jogged over to my house. Meanwhile, Jimin waved back weakly before he turned and disappeared in the forest. Jungkook was climbing up the balcony, this was the first time I had watched him. He stepped over a window ledge and jumped high enough to catch the edge of the balcony. The rest was performed by his incredible physical strength, his arms pulling him up effortlessly. He held onto the balcony railings and jumped to the other side, landing next to me.

"I am so very impressed", I said jokingly and caught him chuckling for a short moment.

"Jimin's idea seems to be going well", Jungkook mentioned as we stepped back inside. The low temperature was observable after entering the warm building. I closed the door while I replied, "yes, they were handling the situation just fine until I said you were here".

Jungkook took in my words, curving his brows before he expressed his thought, "maybe I shouldn't-".

"It'll be fine. I'm here with you", I cut him off and held his hand, sending him a promising smile. I felt Jungkook's hand tightening around mine, he seemed to be just as nervous as I was. Our nervousness was caused by the fact that this could be our last time together. Everything depended on my parents now, their decision mattered the most. Without letting go of Jungkook's hand, I walked to my door and opened it slowly. Just then I heard Jungkook chuckling again and turned to look at him.

"This is the first time I'm going through this door. The only room I've seen in your house is your bedroom", he explained as he looked back at my bed, his eyes then shifting to my desk. He must be recalling the memories we had made back in this room. I laughed softly before I replied, "don't expect too much though, we don't have luxury in this house".

"This is luxury compared to my house", he pointed out, making us both laugh quietly since we didn't want to ruin the tension my parents were feeling. We stepped outside, Jungkook's eyes scanning his surroundings. He took note of the bathroom, the other doors in the hallway and the staircase leading to the lower floor. When we reached the end of the stairs, Jungkook spotted the front door first. His eyes then landed on the open kitchen and the living room. Those rooms had no doors, but a double sized door frame. My parents remained in the living room, catching my sight first. I then stepped aside, revealing the alpha who moved into sight. My mother gasped while my father rose to his feet.

"This is Jungkook", I introduced to which Jungkook made a polite bow. While my dad had his eyes glued on Jungkook, I could see how my mother kept switching her gaze from me to him. My only assumption was that she was comparing our body sizes. I mentally rolled my eyes but I couldn't blame them, this was their first time meeting a wolf in person. If I was honest, they were handling it pretty good.

"That's- that's your boyfriend?", my dad finally asked the first question that lurked in his head. I found the way he had described Jungkook as my boyfriend quite cute. However, he was much more than that but I didn't know how to explain it.

"I'm her mate", Jungkook blurted out to which my dad formed a confused frown and looked at me, "mate? So he's your pal?".

"What? No!", I responded, feeling the need to burst out a laughter. My mother didn't move from her position and when she was done observing Jungkook's features, she spoke, "please, excuse us. This is the first time we see a wolf in human form. This is quite unsettling".

"You'll get used to it", I added quickly, waiting for her to look at me so I could throw a wink. A loud exhale could be heard from my dad, he turned around and sat down on the single couch again.

"Out of all people , she chose a wolf", he mumbled to himself but everyone in the room heard him. I was so quick to reply, that I didn't even consider the type of its sound, "I didn't choose a wolf, it chose me".

Even though it was the truth, my statement had been so poorly timed that it sounded like I was joking. The only responses I received were a glare and an eye roll.

"No, I mean it-", I had to clarify my point so I began, only to be cut off with the raise of my father's hand.

"Anyways, now we know about your secret wolf boyfriend. What will happen next?", he asked, his eyes fixed on Jungkook as his last words left his lips. He was right, there was a continuation of every story. We only had to find ours. I blinked in silence a few times before shifting my attention to Jungkook, even I was slightly unsure. Fortunately, the alpha already knew what to say, "that's why I'm here. I came to ask for permission".

"What permission?", my dad asked, worried about where this conversation was going. This alpha didn't know how the interaction between humans worked and jumped right into the topic, not taking any break and explaining everything that implied what a true mate meant. Not only putting my parents into pressure, but also giving them another panic attack. And after he had done telling my parents that he and I had to live together from now on, that he had marked me and that I belonged to him, in such a scary way, I could competely comprehend their reaction.

"No way! No! (y/n), no!", my dad yelled while he stomped through the entire room. With all the information that was incorrectly interpreted to him, all he could think of was that I had become the slave to a wolf.

"Dad, please", I said while I stood in the centre of the room, turning non stop as my father drew large circles around me angrily. My mom was following after him, trying to get him to stop, "darling, calm down-".

My dad suddenly stopped, turning to face my mother while he called out loudly, "you can't really expect me to give my little girl to the hands of a predator".

"She doesn't have to come with me. All I want is to stay with her. So if you allow me, I'd stay here too", Jungkook threw in, watching us all turn our heads to find the source of the disturbing sound. He was still standing underneath the door frame, his hands in the pockets of his pants. His unbothered state was nerve twitching, even though he had caused his chaotic scene. He had ignited a fire and watched the flames rise, as if it wasn't his business.

"What? Let you stay here with us?", my dad's voice was loud, he was still displeased but sounded as if he was actually considering it. I was surprise how the alpha suggested to stay here, a few hours ago he wanted me to stay in the village. I could only assume that he figured I couldn't leave my home, so he had made another offer only so we stood together. My dad sighed deeply, he had entered his deep thoughts. I knew the only person who could make my dad change his mind. I quickly looked at my mother, pointing at my dad with my eyeballs. She then nodded and turned to my dad, "come on, darling. This is our daughter and she seems happy-".

"But he's a wolf!", my dad cut her off, revealing the only issue that was bothering him. Not because he disliked them, because he was scared. My mother sighed and placed her hand over his shoulder, "maybe he is a wolf, but we have seen what wolves did. There are good ones too, give them a chance. We have to trust our daughter, she obviously has seen a lot more than us and knows what she's doing".

Internally thanking my mom, I formed a soft smile when I met her gaze again. Jungkook was watching the interaction and seemed to be taking mental notes. A few silent seconds later, my dad finally gave in and sighed loudly, "fine. You can stay here with us".

He met Jungkook's eyes, ignoring the growing smile over my face, "I rather have my eyes on you than leave my daughter in your hands".

"Thank you!", I called out and wrapped my arms around my father, hugging him tightly. It had worked, we were accepted. I couldn't believe that we had made it. There were many things left but the worst part was over. When my eyes searched for Jungkook's, I caught them sparkling with pure joy in the warmest way possible.

The next few hours went by with my father asking the strangest questions about a wolf and Jungkook replying them all without any hesitation. All I could do was sit beside them and watch the conversation in complete silence. However, seeing my father talking to Jungkook sent me a feeling of familiarity, as if he had already accepted him into our family. Suddenly the conversation took a weird turn as pregnancy was mentioned, holding my breath in hopes Jungkook wouldn't accidentally let it slip. I had told him before to keep our child a secret for now and only hoped he didn't forget.

"I'm sure you must know a lot about it, you are an alpha", my father said, raising one eyebrow while his eyes switched to look at me for a short second. I honestly didn't even want to know his current thoughts, but I did. I could tell the images he had, mentally cursing at the embarrassment. And again, Jungkook wasn't holding back when he replied, "I know everything. A female-".

"Look at the time, it's already so late!", I called out, cutting off the alpha before he would throw us both into fire. I pointed at the clock on our wall and raised myself from the couch. It was time this convo ended, while everything remained in its peace.

"Are you tired?", my mother asked, coming into the living room. I nodded my head to which she immediately hurried out again. I turned to look at Jungkook, motioning him to follow me. When my dad saw us, he decided it was time for him to interfere, "he will sleep here. On the couch".

"What?", I gave him a look of disbelief, watching him raise his hand in an attempt to refuse any kind of disagreement. The alpha stood onto his feet and pointed at me but his hand hovered a little too low in the air. His hand was pointing directly at my belly, which sent me a wave of panic through my mind, "but I need to be near her-".

"I may have let you stay here but I won't let you share one bed", my father explained, he sounded rather serious than angry. Jungkook turned to look at me, we both shared the same concern but mine was for a different reason. Jungkook only wanted to be by my side, while I seeked for his warmth which our baby required.

"It's alright, darling. I made him a bed on the floor. Let them share the room", my mother then came back into the room, she was smiling brightly when she met my eyes. My dad's jaw dropped, watching her place a hand over my shoulder, "you two can go now".

"Thank you. Good night", I said and turned to leave the living room, the alpha following behind quietly. Pointing at the large body of the leaving wolf, my dad faced my mother, "but-".

"Good night, sweetie", she called after us, ignoring my father entirely.

-

"Where did these manners come from?", I asked while sitting over my bed. The alpha sat down over the bed before he replied, "it was Jimin's idea".

"I see. You owe him a big one", I said jokingly and watched him part his lips in slight offence, forcing out a muffled laughter from me. He then looked to the bed my mother had created for him. To be more specific, she had made a mattress out of folded and stacked blankets, placed one large pillow and paired it with a thick blanket. I couldn't help but adore her efforts, even though there was a wolf in our house. Compared to my father, she knew a lot more about my struggles and was willing to support me. After all, she was the last phone call I made before I had gone with the Gosens. And she could have been my last phone call, if I hadn't made it back.

"Your parents are really nice people", Jungkook suddenly said, his voice calm while his head was hanging down. His eyes were still fixed on the bed that lay on the floor but his thoughts had gone much deeper. Maybe it was time I asked him about his past again, he couldn't just keep it inside forever.

"Why don't you tell me about your parents?", I asked and crawled closer to where he was sitting. The wolf exhaled loudly, a clear sign of refusal to continue with the current conversation. But not for me.

"Jungkook", my voice was calm and quiet, trying to win his attention. But his eyes remained on the bed so I leaned in closer, taking in the sight of his side profile. I was really determined to have him talk and shifted even closer, to the point my chin reached his shoulder. He then blinked, his eyes staring forwards at no particular spot. I inched closer into his face, the tip of my nose feeling the warmth of his cheek. I was amazed by his patience, fearing he would burst any moment.

"Talk to me", I said ever so still, seeing the wolf turn his head to meet my eyes. There was a soft smile over his face, he was obviously enjoying this closeness and took advantage of it. He placed his lips over mine for a short second, catching me off guard before he pulled back again.

"Fine, you win", he confessed while I tried to recover from the stolen kiss. But this was a good sign, he was going to talk. I lay down over the bed, using his thigh as a pillow while I looked up at him. He was playing with my hair as he began, "when I was young, I used to have a very strong bond with my parents. They were really kind and supportive. That was until my father decided to add rules into my life, rules that changed a lot for me. I received a workout schedule, hunting lessons and lectures about all of the genders. I wasn't allowed to play with my friends anymore, since they considered it as a waste of time. Only Jimin and Taehyung managed to stay in touch but they had to use fake excuses to see me".

"But why?", I asked, pulling my legs closer to me with my knees in the air. Jungkook paused for a short moment and ran his fingers through my hair. He seemed as if even he was still unaware of the actual reason, "because I am an alpha. They wanted me to be the best, to become the new leader of the village and maybe even higher than that. They had big plans for me".

"Why didn't you talk to them?", I asked.

"I did but they never listened. In fact, they started punishing me for talking back to them. The number of the punishments I received started to increase quickly. Every failure, every mistake and even every displeasing result led to a punishment".

"What kind of punishment?", I asked.

"You know, the usual punishments that make you reconsider and regret your actions".

I was unable to imagine a wolf being grounded or have its phone taken away. I wasn't even sure if they owned phones. I raised an eyebrow and explained, "Jungkook, I doubt wolves share the same types of punishments with humans".

He looked up for a minute, thinking about the accuracy of my statement before he chuckled to himself. He then looked down again and continued, "you're right. I don't think you ever had to starve or were forced to spend nights outside in the cold. And I'm pretty sure your father never used violence on you".

I gasped quietly and quickly raised my body, blaming myself for bringing up these negative memories. This wasn't the kind of response I had expected and the fact that I had acted so thoughtlessly was kind of shameful.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't think-", I said but felt Jungkook's index finger over my lips, he then locked his dark eyes with mine.

"Shh, don't worry about it. The stronger his punches were, the more resistant my body grew. So it's thanks to my father that I've become this strong", he tried to replace his childhood trauma with humor, but it wasn't doing its trick for me. I could feel distress and knew he was sensing it too. He then placed his hand over my cheek and started caressing the skin with his thumb as he spoke, "but that way I started to grow colder. Our bond began to break and they slowly turned into strangers. I had told them about my interest in humans but they didn't like that. They were going to take me to another country, only so I would change my mind and find myself a mate. But I refused and left the village".

I placed my hand over his, my heart feeling heavy while I sat on my legs. I didn't know what to say but I knew I had to speak, in order to brighten up the mood. And for some strange reason, I remembered the existence of the bracelet I was given, "what did you do after you left?".

"I was lost but I came across a large mansion. And to my luck, it was inhabited by wolves. They took me in and let me stay for as long as I wanted- are you okay?", Jungkook asked and formed a concerned frown as he scanned my body. I hadn't noticed how rapidly my heart was beating until he placed his hand over my chest. The cause was simple; he had mentioned the mansion so he knew about it. Lee's explanation was accurate, everything was true.

"(y/n)?", I heard a deep voice but all I could see was Lee smiling with the dark red lipstick over her lips. Her dark eyes were looking through me, as if she had found me. I then snapped back into reality and met Jungkook's eyes before I replied, "I'm fine".

A loud exhale left my lips, catching the wolf's attention. His eyes looked for any sign of pain or discomfort but could only sense the distress inside of me, "are you sure?".

"I'm just really tired, I think. Maybe it's time we sleep", I suggested and heard the wolf sigh. He knew I was lying but he wasn't going to push me. Instead, he nodded and removed himself from my bed and covered my body with my blanket after I lay down. I rolled over, facing the inside of my room while Jungkook sat by the edge of the bed. He insisted on waiting until I had fallen asleep and caressed my head.

-

A series of loud knocks disturbed the peace in my room, waking me up. I rubbed the sleep off of my eyes and slowly sat up. When I looked down to find Jungkook sprawled over the blankets, I took a mental note that he was a heavy sleeper. I stood up from the bed and made my way to the door, opening it while a yawn escaped my mouth. When I blinked my tired eyes a few times, I recognized the face of Jimin frowning back at me. Behind him stood my mom, looking rather panicked as she tried to explain the situation,c"I don't know who this guy is! He just came inside and said he was looking for you!".

"Jimin, what are you doing here?", I asked and noticed his slight anger. I was unsure whether this was his typical way of looking or if he had bad news to give.

"Wait, this is Jimin?", my mother asked and sighed loudly. I made sure to look Jimin in the eyes while I replied, "yes, the good friend I told you about".

I could tell he was quite unamused with the title I had given him, but he didn't deny it.

"I'm here to talk. I'll be outside", he said and turned around, leaving the place without another word. My mother and I only exchanged a quick stare before I realized I had to clarify his personality to her, "don't mind him, that's how he usually is".

I closed the door and quickly changed into warmer clothes. The alpha was still sleeping, in a rather uncomfortable position. It was 7:31 am when I left the room and went downstairs, only to hear my mother calling for me, "are you really just going to leave him here?".

She was referring to the sleeping wolf in my room. I nodded my head and put on my shoes, "I'll be back soon. And if he happens to wake up before I return, tell him I'm with Jimin".

And with that, I opened the door and stepped outside. The weather was quite cold, there was a visible steam whenever I exhaled. Jimin stood a few meters ahead of me, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He looked me up and down before he rolled his eyes and took off his scarf.

"You really don't care about your child, do you?", he said as he wrapped his scarf around my neck. I wanted to talk back but he intentionally covered my mouth with the cloth, making me pull the scarf down and expose my lips, "of course, I care for my child!-".

"Then make sure you stay warm", he said and shoved his hands back into his pockets. He began walking into the streets, making me follow after him. It was then that I noticed how empty and foggy the streets were. It was still dark since the sun hadn't risen yet. Not even a single car or bus was driving, everything was quiet. This was also the reason why Jimin could enter the human side with no trouble.

"You said you wanted to talk", I broke the silence first, only to watch Jimin motioning to a coffee shop in the distance.

"Let's find a warm place first", he said, leading the way towards the shop. As soon as we stepped in, I was greeted with the pleasing smell of coffee. I even spotted a few people sitting in the shop, which proved there were brave ones too. We chose a table and sat down before Jimin made me order a cup of coffee.

"Namjoon wanted to make sure you were fine so he sent me", Jimin then explained and leaned back on the chair. I was going to take off the scarf but caught him shaking his head, dropping my hands slowly.

"That's really nice of you", I said and formed a smile, not even sure if he could see it. A waitress came to our table and placed my order on the table. I thanked her quietly and wrapped my fingers around the warm cup.

"I didn't expect your parents to let him stay", Jimin said, recalling the alpha he had seen sleeping on the floor right when I had opened the door of my bedroom.

"Me neither, but it was my mother who convinced my dad", I explained, raising the cup to my lips before I took a small sip. Jimin's eyes were scanning me for a particular cause, and that cause was revealed when he finally asked, "how are you two doing?".

I saw him looking down at my coat and figured that he was actually talking about the baby. I placed the cup back down and replied softly, "much better".

"Good. If there's anything you need, let me know", he said as he leaned in closer, placing his forearms over the oak table and watching me give him a nod of appreciation. It amazed me how fully committing he seemed, as if he wanted to fix what he had broken once.

"Oh, and-", Jimin shoved his hand into the right pocket of his jacket, searching for a small item before pulling it out again. He took one of my hands and held it below his other hand, dropping a silver item into my palm, "-I believe this is yours".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _What could it be?_  
Thank you so much for reading and for those sweet comments!<3  
I'll be gone next week <s>like I said before, for surgical purposes</s> and will be back in a month or so, hopefully. Until then, please make sure you stay healthy! And please, take good care of yourselves!<3


	5. You're Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK????  
it me :D
> 
> I missed this soooo much and I missed y'all tooooo oh god I'm so happyaslkdnaloanb-  
So, I'm all good and healthy! Btw, I changed the covers of all **Hidden Claws** stories on **Wattpad** and I'm so proud of them :)  
ANYWAys, let's get it~

_"-And for today's incoming news, the police department has shared new information about the wolf attack. According to security cameras positioned on various places of this town, it's revealed that wolves have always been in our lives. Those shocking footages show how members of family and friend groups transformed into wolves and fought back the attackers. This action has brought a lot of confusion and curiosity to the government as such outcome was completely unexpected. The police department has decided to investigate the suspects and will make a scanning around town to secure the safety-"._

The volume of our television had been so turned up that I was able to hear the news reporter the moment I had stepped inside the house. With my eyes wide, I had slowly walked towards the living room and stood under the door frame, staring at the screen and watching the footages of people turning into furred animals. My dad was sitting still on the couch while my mother remained behind him. They were both speechlessly staring at the television, they hadn't noticed my return until I spoke, "oh my God".

My mother was first to turn around, her hand covering her parted lips. Her eyes were wider than mine which was, of course, understandable. This wolf topic had been in my life for a longer time now. I took off the scarf I had gotten from Jimin and unbuttoned my coat before hanging them both on the hanger at the front door.

"So my daughter wasn't the only fool, huh?", my father said and turned off the big screen, throwing the remote over the empty seat next to him. He stood up and threw me a strange look, one that spoke disappointment. However, I could only think of one thing and ignored the rest of the information I had just received. There were going to check every house, including ours.

"I have to tell him", I said quietly and just when I turned around, I found the alpha approaching the room calmly. His dark eyes were scanning me before he looked around the room. He could sense the tension just fine. Without wasting another second I walked up to him, "I don't know how much you heard but you have to leave quickly-".

"I won't", the alpha cut me off, crossing his arms. He seemed to have made up his mind even before considering the situation.

"What do you mean you won't?", I asked, throwing him a look of disbelief. He only dropped his arms and placed his hands over my belly, "I don't care what's gonna happen. I'm not leaving you two".

I inhaled a sharp breath, quickly pushing off his hands but it was too late. He had managed to cut the last string with the sharpest knife.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?", my mother calmly asked. She wasn't even looking at me when I tried to talk over, "he was trying to-".

"No, (y/n). I didn't ask you", she raised a hand while her eyes remained on Jungkook. Even my father was now standing up and facing us. I couldn't help but curse internally, I was scared. I hadn't planned to tell them so soon. Even if, this wasn't how I wanted to give the news. My heart was racing in my chest, knowing the wolf could sense it too. But that wasn't changing anything for him, he stepped forward confidently and began, "she is pregnant and it's our child".

The sound of my mother gasping and my father standing silent where the only things I observed before facing the reckless wolf behind me. I couldn't read his face but hoped for him to read my distress. The room was quiet for a moment, later my father stomped out of the room.

"(y/n)-", I heard my mother's weak voice, she was holding back tears. When our eyes met, I could tell she was expecting any word or movement of denial, "-is that true?".

"I- yes, it is", I whispered, lowering my gaze. This feeling was so strange. Until this moment, I hadn't considered the child to be a mistake. I wasn't ashamed or regretting it but for some reason it felt like a crime now. I then turned to Jungkook, frowning as I asked him, "why would you do that?".

"Because I have to stay with you", he replied, not understanding the actual point I was aiming for. I could feel tears forming in the corner of my eyes when I heard the soft cries of my mother.

"But why did you say it? You knew what would happen so why now?", the frown on my face couldn't conceal the growing sorrow, the falling tear only adding to the broken emotion. Jungkook placed one hand over my shoulder and explained, "we would tell them sooner or later anyways. If I leave, I won't be able to protect you-".

"This isn't just about you, Jungkook", I pointed out and pushed his hand off.

"You don't even know what you did. This way you aren't protecting us, you are only putting us in more danger", I placed a hand over my tummy, feeling another tear fall from my eye. I was trying really hard to keep my senses together but right now felt like the best time to burst. All of this was too much for my parents to handle at once. I couldn't believe this wolf decided on his own and chose the worst path. He had his eyes locked with mine when he spoke again, slightly irritated after I had pushed his hand off, "I don't understand, why are you making such a big deal of-".

Just then, we heard the sound of someone cocking a gun and turned our heads to the door frame. I caught my father walking in with a shotgun in his hands before my mother ran to stop him, "dear, what are you doing?!".

"Fixing this issue!", he called and aimed the gun towards Jungkook. The alpha managed to dodge the fire in last minute, the bullet creating a hole in the wall. I screamed and covered my ears at the loud shot, watching my father aim his gun again.

"DAD, NO-", I shouted but heard another loud fire, taking cover again. This time he had fired the books on our shelves, scraps of paper flying in the air. Shotguns only owned the ability to shoot two bullets before reload so this was the only chance to remove the wolf from his sight. I suddenly felt a hand hold onto mine. Jungkook seemed to be unharmed while scanning me for any injuries.

"Get ahold of yourself! You're gonna kill someone!", my mother yelled and positioned herself in front of me.

"That's what I'm planning to do", my father replied while refilling the gun, his eyes never left the wolf in the room. He was really willing to kill him right here. I then turned to Jungkook, pointing towards the front door, "you have to go!".

"I'm not going anywhere-", he said before quickly pulling me close to him and avoiding another fire. I heard a loud cracking of glass, assuming he had shot through a window this time.

"You're gonna shoot our daughter!", my mother yelled and held tightly onto my father's arm. But she wasn't strong enough to keep his arm low, he still managed to aim Jungkook's head.

"Dad, stop!", I yelled and placed myself between the gun and the wolf. This was the second time I had put myself in front of a gun, this almost felt like staring death right in the eyes.

"Get out of the way, (y/n)!", he warned and kept the gun up. Next, loud sirens made their way into the house and informed us about the approach of many police cars. I could only assume that the sounds of the gunshot had alarmed the neighbours but this time I was thankful for their quick overreaction. Seeing my dad lower his gun and stare out of the window, I took this chance to turn to Jungkook, "either you leave now, or you'll lose us forever".

This wasn't just a threat, this was the true outcome if he kept being present. There was no other way out, he had to leave this instant. The wolf threw one quick glare to the window, hearing the parking cars before meeting my angry eyes again.

-

"There. That should do", my father said and lowered the drilling machine. He had screwed boards over my balcony doors, blocking the way outside and inside completely. Despite the fact that our house was now being guarded by heavily armed police men, my father found it necessary to cover my balcony as well. Without another word he left my room and locked the door after slamming it shut. I had my phone and my laptop taken away, in order to cut all connections to the outside. Everything had turned into chaos after the wolf had left.

He made his escape through my balcony, since he had no other choice. Police men, including Sheriff Min, bursted inside the house after another fire had taken place. We had been questioned and, as expected, my parents told them everything. Sheriff Min's suggestion was to take me to the police department for a better watch but my parents insisted in keeping me here. No one was physically hurt, but my heart was shattered. 

"It'll be fine", I whispered to myself while I stroked my belly slowly. A single tear made its escape, trying to collect the last bit of hope I had left. All my parents wanted was to make sure I stood out of trouble, even if this seemed to be the harshest way, this was the only way it was working. Being unaware of what they thought about the baby, all I could do was remain patient. And with this, an entire month went by. Everyday my mother would bring me food, ask me how I was feeling and leave the room again. Even though it was forbidden for them to talk to me, my mother attempted to ask about the child, only to receive the same silent answer. And about the alpha, there was no sign of him. We had been separated again, against our will but fate was stronger.

It was only a matter of time before the two of us met again. I stood before the mirror, my shirt lifted while I viewed the grown baby bump. It wasn't quite big but it also didn't seem like it was in its first months. I remembered how Jungkook had told me the pregnancy of a wolf took about three months. My first pregnancy was definitely not going to last for nine months, that was for sure. Someone then knocked on my door to which I quickly lowered my oversized sweater, which was also prefectly covering the bulge. The door was slowly opened, revealing my mother who didn't step inside but instead, she called me out with a motion of her head. I followed her downstairs and found a group of police men standing by the front door.

"What's going on?", I asked and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to get any closer to the people. One of the police men held papers in his hands and didn't look up when he asked, "are you (y/f/n) (y/l/n)?".

"Yes, I am", I replied and crossed my arms, feeling the unwelcoming cold circling my body. The police man then looked at me and explained, "ma'am, we have several cases of illegal proceedings on your name. I will ask you to come with us".

"I don't understand", I said and met my mother's worried eyes. I noted how she didn't want to let me go and watched her speak up first, "but the police knows about the wolf-".

"This isn't just about the wolf, ma'am. There's a lot more so please follow us", the police man stepped aside and pointed towards the car they had parked outside. My mother could reason with them and gave in eventually. I knew I had to take my leave and grabbed my coat from the hanger, forming a reassuring smile to my mother. After putting on the black coat, I followed the men outside and entered the car. When we arrived at the police station, I was lead to an empty room. I took the seat before a small desk and was told to wait.

The last time I had been in this building, I had witnessed my friend's death. I didn't want to be here, as the memory kept flashing the bloody image before my eyes. Surprisingly, I wasn't worried. I was charged with illegal actions I didn't know of but found no reason to worry about it. I had finally left my house after being trapped there for a whole month, being away felt quite pleasing. I looked up when I heard the door being opened, forming a bright smile when I met Hoseok.

"Hoseok?", I quickly rose to my feet and walked over to him while he closed the door. He went straight in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around my body while I did the same. 

"I'm so glad to see you-", I said and gently pulled back to meet his eyes, "-but what are you doing here?".

"It's kind of complicated", Hoseok said and took his phone out. He began dialing a number and held his phone against his ear. I only raised an eyebrow, feeling completely lost.

"I got the package and it's ready to be delivered", he spoke to the phone and smiled, allowing me to watch him with pure confusion.

"Alright, we're waiting here", he said and hung up, shoving his phone back into the pocket of his pants. 

"Wait for who? Hoseok, what's going on?", I asked as I began looking around the room, wondering that I might have missed something. Hoseok placed his hands over his hips as he replied, "okay, look. You have been under watch for some time but don't think that we forgot about you".

"Who is 'we'?", I asked and just then the door opened again, feeling my heart skip a beat when I recognized the figure. I gasped but quickly covered my mouth with both of my hands, watching the figure close the door and slowly approach us. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, I couldn't believe this was really happening. Hoseok took note of my struggles and decided to take over instead, "long story short, he survived the attack".

"Miraculously", the other figure said, winking towards Hoseok before looking at me again. He stepped closer and slowly took me into his warm embrace.

"I can't believe it-", I muttered, pressing my face into his chest. I held tightly into his shirt, owning the feeling of not wanting to let go. Hoseok took a quick look at his phone to read the time before breaking the silence, "listen, I don't wanna be that guy but we really have to leave".

Hoseok's words sounded more like a warning than a reminder. Whatever he was referring to, they were in a big hurry. I pulled back gently, looking deeply into the brown eyes of the male, "I thought you-".

"I will tell you everything on the way. For now, let's focus on getting you out of here", Yoongi cut me off, caressing my arm in an attempt to ease all the tension and question marks in my head. Hoseok then stepped closer before he asked, "can you pretend to be in pain?".

-

"Out of the way!", Yoongi yelled out loud while pushing people from the path with one arm, his other hand holding me tightly. I couldn't call myself a professional actress but my limping body and the faked groaning sounds seemed to be convincing enough for the people to move away quickly.

"We need to get her to the hospital!", Hoseok called out loud as he held my other arm. We managed to get out of the building without growing any suspicion and hopped in the car that stood outside. Once we were all in, I couldn't help but let my curiosity take the lead, "alright, what is this all about?".

"We're taking you to the hospital", Hoseok explained while fastening his seat belt. Yoongi started the engine and added, "have you contacted the doctor?".

"Yes, I have. They should be waiting for us", Hoseok replied immediately, and the car took off.

"They?", I asked, shifting closer to the front seats. I had been put into the back and had both males on either side of me.

"What about her parents?", Hoseok then asked Yoongi, ignoring my question. Yoongi took a sharp turn into the road and pressed on the gas before he replied confidently, "I believe her mother bought it. They won't cause us any trouble for now".

"What? Wait, what about the charges? The illegal proceedings?", I asked, shifting my gaze from Yoongi to Hoseok. Hoseok turned around to look at me, pointing at the seat I should actually be sitting on as he spoke, "why aren't you sitting properly?".

I stood silent for a moment, blinking cluelessly before moving back and fastening my seat belt. I watched Hoseok form a smile before he faced the front again, switching my gaze to the rear view mirror after hearing Yoongi talking, "those charges aren't actually real. I had to make up something serious so the police would bring you to us".

"You what?", my eyes grew bigger, this was the first time Yoongi broke his own laws. Something I had never expected him to do. Hoseok then took over, "we know about your pregnancy-".

My eyes bursted open when I heard his words, feeling my face burn up at the embarrassment.

"-And keeping you in that house, with no human interaction and those guards won't do any of you good".

I couldn't bring out a sentence, looking out of the window to avoid any awkward action. Yoongi took note of my state when he looked through the mirror and continued, "we also met your charming boyfriend. Nice guy".

"If we ignore his poor social skills, his anger issues and, of course, his low ability to trust others, he could be considered as a nice guy", Hoseok added to which I covered my red face with my hands. This was almost like hearing my parents complain, except those were my friends who used heavy sarcasm to describe Jungkook in the best way possible. After a moment of recovery, I finally asked reluctantly, "how much do you know?".

"Everything?", Hoseok answered first, looking over to Yoongi for confirmation and watched him nod, "everything".

"Oh", I sighed deeply, looking down at my lap. This was worse than I had imagined it would be. However, I noted how they were on my side, how they were supportive. This also reminded me of another fact which also provided me with a change of topic, "you know, when that attack happened-".

"I was bitten by a wolf", Yoongi cut me off and stopped at a red light. I could picture the sight of his bloody state and quickly shook it off, "yes, I know. But how did you survive?".

"Like I said, I was bitten", Yoongi repeated himself and something told me that we weren't on the same frequency.

"I get that-".

"No, he was bitten. In the neck. They way Jungkook bit you and you survived the car crash", Hoseok jumped in after hearing our conversation struggling to be declarative. Snapping my head to Hoseok, I threw out the question without even thinking, "you mean Jungkook bit Yoongi?!".

"No, it wasn't Jungkook", Hoseok turned to face me, allowing me to observe the unpleasant expression on his face. I then looked at Yoongi with more shock, "are you saying there was a wolf in your life before?!".

"No!", Yoongi yelled and the three of us jumped when we heared another car honk behind us, we had missed the green light. As the car continued to drive, Yoongi exhaled deeply and began to explain slowly, "I don't know what happened after I closed my eyes that day but when I opened them again, I found myself in a hospital room. Doctor Kim was with me and told me I had gotten the blood cells of a wolf. He also said that there was a bite mark on my neck so we could only assume that one of the wolves bit me. But the wolf must have been the child of a hybrid because the effect was really small, it took me an entire month to recover. And once I was free to go, I came here".

"So you just left from the hospital?", I asked, not noticing how wide my eyes had grown. Yoongi glanced through the rear view mirror as he replied, "correct".

"But why?", I asked him quietly.

"Because you would do the same".

-

"Do you at least know who it was?", I asked as I hurried after Yoongi to catch up to them. As we entered the busy hospital building, he replied quietly, "sadly, no. But whoever it was, I owe my life to that person".

This was it, his faith in wolves had grown so much. The guy who had sworn on his life to kill ever threatening wolf, was now working with one. Not only was I glad to see him alive, but to witness his character development was so encouraging. Slowly but securely I was bringing changes into this world. These small drops were soon going to turn into a river.

"Let's find Doctor Kim", Hoseok said and began rushing through the people. Ever since the attack, work never stopped in this hospital. This wasn't the medical center, so it was a lot more crowded in here. I could see the amount of injured people of all ages, most of them had recovered well. It was obvious that the help of wolves was included otherwise half of these people would have been deceased. We made it to an elevator and got on the second floor.

"He should be here", Yoongi said and knocked on a blue door that didn't have access from the outside. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Seokjin, standing inside a poorly lit room.

"Wow, you guys actually made it in one peace", he said and stepped aside, allowing both men to enter the room first. When I wanted to join, I felt Seokjin's arms wrap themselves around me, catching me off guard.

"I'm so glad to see you, (y/n)-", he let go quickly and kept both hands on my shoulders as he continued, "-I won't ever forget what you did for us back then".

"I did what was right", I smiled, feeling my cheeks burn at the unforeseen praises. He then guided me inside and closed the door behind me. After turning on the light, he walked further inside the room and spoke, "please, excuse the chaos. We have been really busy lately".

I scanned the room and noticed a bed with an ultrasound machine, guessing what possible meaning we had to be in this specific room.

"Where is the wolf?", Yoongi asked with his arms crossed, looking around the room. Seokjin looked out through the window and sighed before he replied, "he hasn't arrived yet".

He then brought his focus on me and pointed at the bed when he spoke, "(y/n), why don't you lie down? We can start without him".

"Start what?", I asked and walked over to the bed. He turned off the lights before sitting down on the wheeled stool and began tapping on the keyboard, not meeting my eyes when he explained, "it's been over a month since the last time I checked on you-".

I sat down on the bed and laid myself over the hard mattress as he continued.

"-I need to make sure you two are fine so I will be running a sonography on you".

I then lifted my shirt and revealed the small bulge that had grown. Yoongi took a step closer and dropped his arms to the side. According to his facial expression, he had not expected to see such sight.

"Are you sure it's only been a month?", he wondered in a concerned tone, his eyes scanning my belly.

"Yeah", I replied.

"And it grew this much already?",Yoongi asked? I couldn't help but smile at his words. I also noticed Hoseok who was biting his lips, a sign of nervousness. Seokjin squeezed some gel over the transducer as he began, "the pregnancy of a wolf is not like the one of a human. I personally have no experiences with this so you are my first patient who's pregnant to a hybrid, (y/n)".

"How long will it take?", Yoongi asked while Seokjin placed the transducer against my skin, making me gasp at the sudden cold sensation. The three of the men looked at the monitor displaying the blurry image of the fetus.

"It might take over three months but-", Seokjin said, his voice growing quieter as he added, "-I doubt this one will stay in there for nine months. In fact, six months could be enough. Or even five, or four-".

"Which is it?!", Yoongi then snapped, unintentionally startling us all in the process.

"I'm not sure, I've never done this before", Sekjin reminded. I couldn't take my eyes off the monitor, this was really going to be my child. I didn't know which emotions I was feeling but excitement was definitely one of them.

"I can't wait to hold it", I whispered to myself, not realising I was thinking out loud. They all had turned their heads to me, forcing me to stare at the ceiling immediately. Hoseok was the first to break the heated silence, "let's make a bet. I say it's a boy".

"No, it's gonna be a girl. Just like her mother", Yoongi contradicted, crossing his arms. Seokjin was wiping the gel off my belly with some paper towel while Hoseok spoke, "so you want another troublemaker?".

"Excuse you", I called while lowering my shirt. I remained seated on the edge of the bed, hearing someone knock on the door. Seokjin hurried to open it quickly and let the wolf inside. His eyes fell upon me the second he stepped inside, his chest heaving rapidly.

"I'm sorry, I'm late", Jungkook said and stepped further inside the room, his eyes never leaving mine. He was speaking into the room, but his mind was only focused on me. However, I crossed my arms and felt the pleasure to ignore his apologetical excuses. Seokjin took note of my behavior and informed the others quickly, "we'll be outside, if you need us".

With that, they all quickly left the room. It was only Yoongi who glanced back at me one last time before closing the door and leaving us two alone in the dark. Jungkook spotted the light switch and turned on the lights before he walked over to me. He could sense my irritation and was trying to figure a way to approach this situation.

"Are you still mad at me?", he asked ever so softly, but this time I wasn't going to fall for it. I had my reasons and I deserved justice. He inched closer by small steps, I could feel his eyes on me even though I was staring away.

"Why did you do it?", I asked, replying his question with another question.

"They had to know the truth-".

"You can't just act on your own!", I yelled, facing him with the word 'disagreement' written all over my face. "You didn't even consider the consequences! I had told you to wait but you didn't listen, again!".

"(y/n)-".

"I was locked in my room for an entire month with nothing to do but stare at the goddamn wall! I couldn't even stare outside my balcony or talk to my mother!", the tone of my voice was rising, to the point the others outside the room could hear me.

"And above all, my father almost killed you!", my eyes were tearing up, my vision becoming a blur but I wasn't going to cry. I wanted to finsih this, "so if you're wondering, yes, I am still mad at you".

The place was quiet now. The wolf stood in the center of the room, not sure what to do next. He then exhaled deeply and began walking towards my direction. With my gaze on the window again, I felt a large body put his weight on the bed next to me. Our arms were touching but none of us was moving. There was no distance, but no closeness either.

"I'm sorry for what I've caused you. When I saw what they did to your balcony, and how they put these men around your house, I knew I couldn't reach you-", his voice was really soothing, which also reminded me of how much I had missed him, "-It was my fault so I knew I had to make it right again. I came across your friend and told him everything. It was his idea to add the third guy, who made the plan to get you out. All we had to do was to wait for him to recover since he was the only authorized person to enter and leave the police department with a suspect".

I then felt his hand over my thigh, knowing what this meant. Milo used to do that too, putting his paw over my thigh and waiting for me to look at him. I slowly turned my head, meeting the brown eyes of the alpha. He hadn't changed much but his hair had grown, if that could be considered a change.

"I missed you", he confessed and began inching closer. I didn't move but closed my eyes. No matter how mad I was at him, I couldn't deny the truth that I had missed him too. I could feel his warm breath, he was really close. But then someone decided to knock on the door in this very moment, forcing us both to turn to the source of the disturbing sound. Seokjin opened the door, looking rather glad than sorry, "I assume you two are on good terms again".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for your sweet comments!


	6. The Ruptured Half

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I was sick!  
Btw, I really want to delete Wattpad but I can't until I figure another way to save my drafts. But as soon as I do, it's goodbye to Wattpad.  
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter :)

**Recommended song:**

**Allie X - Downtown**

-

The three men stepped back inside the room, Hoseok closing the door behind them. Jungkook removed himself from the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, displaying the annoyance he was filled with.

"I really want to know what caused you to be late", Seokjin said and shoved his hands into the pocket of his white coat. Yoongi had made his way next to me while Hoseok remained next to the door. The room was quiet for a few seconds before the alpha finally explained, "I forgot it was today. I made it thanks to Jimin".

"Who's Jimin?", Yoongi asked and looked at me. He then stared at the wolf as if he was demanding answers. But the alpha seemed to be distracted by another issue to which I decided to interfere quietly, "a wolf friend of his".

Yoongi's eyes fell upon me again, making a little frown to show the unfamiliarity he felt towards the name. This could only mean that either they hadn't introduced Jimin or Yoongi simply didn't listen carefully. Seokjin began stepping closer to Jungkook, sending me a smile as he began, "I see. I'm glad to have you here, at last-". He then placed a hand over Jungkook's left shoulder. "-Your child is fine, there's nothing to worry about. It is growing faster than an average human child but there's nothing conspicuous at the moment".

The alpha nodded with his head and fixed his eyes on me again. Physically he was here, but his mind had wandered off. And it seemed like only I noticed that.

"So-", I started, looking at every person in the room to make sure I had won their attention before I continued. "-What happens now?".

"We will convince your parents to let you stay with your wolf-boyfriend", Hoseok explained and pointed towards the irritated alpha.

"But I won't be going there", Jungkook commented and crossed his arms, recalling the last events that took place in our house.

"You don't have to", Hoseok said, giving me only more question marks. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean?".

"I'll handle your parents", Yoongi cut in and took a step forward. He sounded confident but I had doubt that he was enough to convince my parents.

"I don't think they will listen to you", I stated, watching Yoongi form a strange grin.

"Maybe not to me".

-

Everything began to make sense now, slowly but surely. They had carved a huge plan and their aim was to keep me with the wolf. Whatever Jungkook had told them, they were desperately trying to make sure the couple would stay together. I was feeling strange, something felt off. Maybe it was the air or the pregnancy. I didn't say anything as we waited in the same room. Yoongi had phoned his father and called him to the hospital. Even his own father seemed to be aware of the situation. However, Yoongi's serenity was slightly bothering. Not that I was complaining, but seeing him this way felt unfitting. Meanwhile, Seokjin had left to greet Sheriff Min at the entrance and was going to bring him to us directly.

"You're wearing the necklace", Jungkook pointed out, standing in front of the bed I was sitting on while his fingers trailed over my neck. Hearing his deep voice suddenly dragged me out of my deep thoughts.

"You and the necklace were taken away from me on the same day", I whispered only so he could hear me and placed my hand over his.

"They took your necklace too?", the alpha asked, showing the unawareness of that incident.

"Jimin did, but he later brought it back", I replied, seeing my smile reflect in his eyes. From the outside our interaction was close, but there was an inner distance. He was approaching me carefully, not wanting to make a mistake this time. I didn't notice Hoseok who was watching us in silence, taking in the sight of a wolf being with a human. Not to learn from it, but to compare it to something else.

"This answers a lot", Yoongi suddenly said with his arms crossed, a soft smile over his face as he looked at the two of us. Jungkook and I turned to look at him, not sure what he was referring to.

"I've always wondered why a girl like you would take so many risks but when I look at the two of you, I can see why", he admitted.

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a faint blush on my cheeks.

"By the way, I knew about the wolf before all of this", Yoongi added and pointed to everyone in the room. It took me a few seconds to realize what he meant and all I could think of were the cameras in my room. He had live footages of the wolf entering my room right before the attack took place. My eyes grew wide and just when I wanted to say something, the door opened. Seokjin stepped inside with Sheriff Min behind him. He didn't wait a second and proceeded to explain the plan, "listen carefully, (y/n). I'll take you home now and while I talk to your parents, you'll go and pack your things. No questions, no hesitation and don't you dare change your mind, got it?".

"Y-yes, Sir", I managed to reply, feeling overwhelmed by the hastiness in his words. And with that, he left the room and made us all hurry after him. I managed to thank Seokjin before leaving with the rest of the group. Everyone sat in the car. Sheriff Min was driving with Yoongi next to him. In the back it was me between the alpha and Hoseok. Yoongi's father then cut through the awkward silence first, "I don't usually interfere into family issues but I'll make this one exception for you, (y/n). Only because I've seen what you did for this town".

"That's really kind of you, Si-".

"But that doesn't mean your actions are acceptable", he quickly added before I could even finish my speech of gratitude. I lowered my gaze and blankly stared at my lap, feeling Jungkook's hand on my thigh. Sheriff Min sighed deeply before he spoke, "I used to hunt wolves, now I'm carrying one in my car".

"The world changes", Yoongi said simply, his view remaining on the road outside. 

"It does, indeed. In only one day everything changed", Hoseok joined to which Sheriff Min showed disagreement, "not everything. Wolves will always be predators, it's in their nature. All I'm waiting for is the government's response to this mess".

I felt Jungkook's fist clenching, he wasn't pleased by the way Sheriff Min had interpreted his kind. And with that, he had taken big offense. However, he kept silent through the whole trip, he didn't say a word and only listened. When we arrived home, we all left the car and made our way to the front door. Jungkook, on the other hand, refused to get any close to the building and stood next to the car where he said he was going to wait for me. Now it was only Sheriff Min, Yoongi, Hoseok and me. I stood behind Sheriff Min and watched him knock on the door. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, I wasn't sure whether I was doing the right thing or not. The door then opened a few seconds later, revealing my mother who seemed to be taken aback by the unexpected visit.

"Good day, Ma'am. May we come in?", Sheriff Min asked and my mother nodded before she stepped aside. When her eyes fell upon me, she held onto my hand and gently pulled me to the side.

"Dear, is everything alright? What is going on?", she asked in a whisper while the other two men entered the house. Just when I wanted to explain, we heard someone clearing their throat. I turned to see Sheriff Min who had his hands over his hips, his posture reminding me of the rules he had listed me. And with that, I let go of my mother's hand and hurried upstairs.

"Ma'am, could you call your husband?", that was the last thing I heard before shutting my door. I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. Leaning against my door, I scanned my room and started making a mental list of the things I would be needing. And just then, I heard a knock coming from my balcony. I caught Jungkook standing by the glass door, waiting for me to let him inside.

"Anything I can do for you?", I asked jokingly after sliding the door open and watched the alpha step inside. With his eyes fixed on mine, he was amused by my question and played along.

"Actually, there is but the time and place make it inappropriate", his words came so quickly that it took me some time to process the meaning, freezing when it finally happened. My jaw dropped a little and when I looked at the alpha, I saw him raising his eyebrows and carry a proud grin. I decided to brush the embarrassment off and pulled out a suitcase from underneath my bed.

"Do you think they'll be able to convince my parents?", I asked while filling the suitcase with clothes I took out from my closet. Jungkook had his arms crossed and leaned against my desk.

"I don't really care. Either way, you're coming with me", he explained, his dark orbs watching me wander from my bed to my closet repeatedly.

"Jungkook, they are my family", I said, unintentionally stepping on a nerve of the alpha. He dropped his arms and turned to stare out of the balcony doors when he replied, "and you are my family".

With that, I couldn't help but stop at my movements. Holding a pile of shirts in my hands, I eyed the wolf silently. There wasn't much I could say. Sometimes silence was louder than words.

"I'm not a fan of separating families but isn't this what usually happens? When two people fall in love, they start their own family together. They shouldn't make such a big deal of it", Jungkook's voice sounded soft, his irritation had soothed again. He was right, there was a point in life where one had to let go of their family. I told myself that this wasn't a permanent parting, that I was gonna see my family again. But wasn't this going too fast? I was unsure.

-

"Could you come here for a moment?", I asked and heard the wolf place a book down on the desk before he approached my struggling self trying to fasten the suitcase. I stepped back from the huge bag, breathing heavily while I asked, "I can't close it. Can you help me?".

"Maybe take a few things out?", he suggested.

"No way", I stated to which the wolf turned to stare at me, a look of disbelief on his face before he faced the suitcase again.

"Sit on it", e then said and without further thoughts I did as I was told. Fortunately, my weight managed to press the suitcase down and made it possible for the alpha to pull the zipper through.

"Yes, it worked!", I called out, getting down from the suitcase and looking at it in satisfaction. Just then, someone knocked on the door but this time, they waited silently. I hurried over and opened the door, spotting my mother at the doorway.

"Could we talk?", she asked, looking me deeply in the eyes. She was obviously in need and I was not going to turn my mother down. I nodded and let her in, only to notice that Jungkook had disappeared. My assumption was that he had left through the balcony to grant us some privacy. Without a comment, I closed the door and watched my mother wipe away a tear before she turned to meet my eyes, "until now I never realized how much you've grown. You have just become a woman and now you're becoming a mother-".

Her eyes began tearing up again. She must have prepared this speech while the others explained them the current situation and the severity of it.

"-I know you had your reasons not to tell us anything but I just wish you would have".

"Mom, I-".

"It's okay, I am not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for not figuring this out sooner. I should have guessed it after the phone call and come back immediately. I wasn't able to be by your side during those times but I wish I was", she cut me off, her voice started to break. She then took a step closer and held onto my hands tightly.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, being held under strict watch must be stressing", she then mentioned, to which I figured this was their excuse to convince my parents. I refused to ask for further information and only nodded while I forced out a side smile. I heard her sigh before she spoke again, "as long as you're happy, we're all happy. Just promise me that you'll stop keeping secrets from us".

"I promise", I whispered and took in her warm gaze. This only made me realize that the amount of secrets I had kept from them had brought them to this state. So most of this was, once again, my fault.

"They are waiting for you downstairs", she said and motioned towards the door. With a nod of my head, I took the heavy suitcase and made my way to the lower floor. Yoongi and Hoseok had left the house already, Sheriff Min stood close next to my father who was glaring at the ground. I suddenly stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to my mother, "if anything happens and you need me, make sure to call me".

Watching her nod with her head, I turned back to the front door and approached the exit quietly. The closer I got to my father, the colder I felt. All sounds were shut off, I could only hear my breathing as my eyes landed on my father. I wanted him to raise his head, I wanted him to look at me. But he wasn't. And so I ended up stepping out of my old home, exhaling deeply. I didn't dare to look back and felt someone take hold of the heavy bag in my hands. While Jungkook held tightly of the suitcase, Yoongi and Hoseok joined in.

"I guess this is where we part our ways", Hoseok said and rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm up his body. The weather was cold, a lot colder than it ever felt. Hoseok raised his arms and pulled me into his embrace. He quietly counted to five before he let go which was a habit of his that I, to this day, didn't understand. Yoongi couldn't say anything and only fell victim to my sudden hug.

"This isn't the end, (y/n). We'll see each other again", Yoongi said to which I gently let go again. He then pointed towards the alpha who was already standing by the entrance of the forest. My eyes grew wide and just when I wanted to apologize for Jungkook's misbehavior, Hoseok cut me off, "he's already thanked us".

"Couldn't you wait for me?", I asked after finally catching up with the wolf. He was holding his hand out for me and waited until I had placed mine inside his warm palm. We then began making our way into the forest, looking back one last time to find both figures still standing by the car and waving. I waved back and turned to the alpha again, "we are really doing this".

"And there is no turning back", Jungkook replied, smiling into the distance. He was trying to conceal his excitement but there was no use. It was only a matter of time before this wolf finally realised he was readable like an open book.

"Did your friend mention any threats?", he then asked after a short moment of silence, sounding a little off. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "which one?".

"The taller one".

"Oh, you mean Hoseok. No, he didn't. Why are you asking?", I wondered. He sent a silent answer, almost pretending like we never had this conversation.

"Jungkook, why did you ask that?".

"It's nothing", the wolf shrugged, refusing to meet my worried gaze. However, that answer made it only worse.

"Don't tell me you threatened-".

"I had to", he finally confessed, looking like a kid who wasn't willing to take his own blame. I made a quiet gasp and demanded further explanation, "you threatened Hoseok?!".

"He wouldn't have let me inside his house".

"You- wait, what?! Will you just tell me what happened, please?", there was no other way, I had to approach this topic calmly if I wanted a proper answer. The alpha sighed loudly and displayed strong hesitation before he finally began, "that day I wandered around your place for a while before I spotted that guy. I followed him until the noticed me. After I told him what I was, he began running away. I couldn't transform so I chased him down the street. I could have caught him if he hadn't gotten inside his house".

He then stopped, forcing me to ask for the rest of the story with a roll of my hand, "well, I had to break inside and threaten him so he would listen".

"You broke inside his house?!".

At this point, I couldn't help but feel bad for Hoseok. He must have gone through a lot worse than I had.

"Like I said, I had no other choice. He was the only person that could help me", Jungkook explained.

"How were you so sure?", I asked.

"I always saw him with you", he was referring to the times I used to go to school. Those good old days, oblivious and innocent times. I felt a smile cross my face, this was the first time I felt nostalgic. My summer days were never going to be the same again. Or any day.

"Anyways, he didn't mention any of these", I said after a round of silence, watching the wolf give me a look of surprise. He might have expected Hoseok to tell me everything, but all I was told was that they liked Jungkook. Either they accepted Jungkook's strange personality, or they were all threatened by him. I then giggled to myself, trying to imagine their first interactions.

-

"I was starting to think they put you down", Jimin said while he stood at the entrance of the village with his arms crossed. Taehyung was standing next to him, wearing a bright smile on his face.

"Welcome back, (y/n)", the blond beta said, making a slight bow. I could feel a warmth blooming in my chest, there was a welcoming feeling whenever I entered this village.

"It's good to see you two", I said softly, making sure my smile was covering the exhaustion lurking inside of me. Taehyung then motioned towards the village before he offered, "let's take you home".

And with that, we followed after the beta who was leading the path.

"You know, this guy had totally forgotten about today", Jimin blurted in, catching all of our attention. His words of exposure weren't meant for betrayal, he simply wanted to be praised for being the actual reason Jungkook had been present. He was asking for credit and owned the right to do so.

"I know, he told us", I then smile, sending Jungkook a side stare. He was looking away, entirely ignoring the conversation. As Jimin sighed proudly, he then added, "how will he even be able to look after a family?".

"I don't think there is anything to worry about. He'll be a good father", Taehyung suddenly commented without turning around. I took a mental note on how carefully this beta was listening to his surroundings, how amazing and scary it was at the same time.

"I doubt it", Jimin stated and looked over at Jungkook, waiting for a response which he got immediately.

"Why don't you become a father and teach me then? Oh, right. You don't even have a mate", Jungkook had made a valid point but I could feel the tension growing again. The fire in their eyes were burning holes through their heads. This was no time for any fight so I stepped inbetween both males and kept a steady pace.

"I really missed this village", with this comment, both alphas turned their heads away, proving that my plan had worked. The blond beta turned his head a little, looking at me through the corner of his eye. He had figured my intention and sent a smile of appreciation. I then began to scan my surroundings, the wooden cabins, the fire places, the group of children running around and female wolves hanging their laundry. The number of women was larger during day time since men usually went hunting or worked on building houses. This village was always busy but compared to the human side, here it was smaller and a lot more peaceful.

"Here were are", Taeyhung then said and stopped before a big wooden cabin. I couldn't recognize this cabin, it wasn't Jungkook's for sure.

"Wait, that's a different house", I said and analyzed the slightly bigger appearance of the building. Taehyung turned to face me before he explained, "this is your new home. The older one was a little too small for three people".

Without a single comment, my wide eyes landed on the alpha. He took out a key and stepped forward to the front door, unlocking it. He then motioned for me to get inside, watching me slowly enter our new 'home'. This cabin was much bigger and brighter than the old one. On my right stood a closet next to a long mirror. There was an open bathroom, a small couch and table, representing a living room. And when I turned to my left, I saw a small kitchen. There were stairs a little further inside the room, leading to the second floor which owned a large bed and a small nightstand. However, the platform of the second floor was only half as big as the lower floor. This place was dreamingly beautiful, I could already imagine future occasions in here.

"So, what do you think?", I heard a soft voice, seeing the alpha with his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be nervous, he was unaware of how I would prefer my home personally.

"I'm loving it", I confessed and heard him sigh in relief. Jimin then stepped inside, looking through the place before he stated, "you better love it. No house in this village has seen as much effort as this one".

"But it was worth the trouble", Taehyung added as he joined in. Jungkook placed my suitcase down on the floor, gesturing the others to take their leave.

"We'll go now. If there's anything you need, you know where to find us", Taehyung reminded, to which I quickly jumped in, "all of this is really nice, I don't know how to thank you".

"You've done enough already", Jimin said and turned to leave the building. After making a polite bow, the blond beta exited through the door and closed it after him. Staring at the door, I felt two hands on either side of my shoulder before they turned me around to meet the alpha's face.

"I'm glad you like it here", he said softly, one of his hands trailing up to my chin. He held it firmly and raised my head, lowering his before our lips finally met. It was a short but tender kiss, feeling my face catch fire the moment I realized what was happening. No matter for how long we've been together, every kiss felt like a first kiss.

"I missed doing this", he whispered and began running his fingers through my hair. His eyes were scanning me carefully, as if he was recapturing my features and carving them into his memory.

"There's more I missed doing to you-", he suddenly said to which my heart began pounding against my chest. Until now, I hadn't realized how hopeless and weak my body became whenever the wolf touched me. I wasn't doing it intentionally but being submissive to this alpha's loving touches was now a common response.

"-but you need to rest", the alpha quickly added in, making me notice what he was referring to. He was able to sense my emotions and must have sensed my exhaustion as well. If it wasn't for the pregnancy, who knows what he was up to. Mentally thanking my current condition, I felt him remove his hands from me, "take your clothes off. I'll run a hot bath for you".

With that he went to the open bathroom and turned the handle of the bathtub faucet, letting hot water fill it rapidly. I took my coat off and dropped it on the couch before moving on to the rest. After tying my hair into a bun, I found a towel and wrapped it around my nude body.

"Isn't it too hot?", I asked when I saw the amount of steam coming from the water. Jungkook turned his head to look at me, frowning at the towel hiding my nudity before he replied, "the warmer the water, the better for the pregnancy. And trust me, this will do you good".

Once the bathtub was filled, I slowly put one foot inside and felt its heat through my entire body.

"Oh, that's hot", I said and carefully put my other foot it, "that's really hot".

The wolf chuckled and watched me struggle while getting adjusted to the warmth. He then grasped for the towel and ripped it off, forcing my reflexes to tell me to cover myself and dip my body into the boiling water at once. I made a short scream, feeling as if I had dived into lava.

"Why did you-", I couldn't bring out a sentence, holding onto the bathtub tightly while my skin was boiling. Jungkook crouched down next to me, one hand in the water as he spoke, "it's not that bad, (y/n). Just relax and let the heat loosen up your muscles".

He then put his other arm over the bathtub's rim and placed his chin over it. I slowly pulled my knees up, getting used to the warm water a few minutes later. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply through my mouth.

"That's it. Feeling any better?", he asked softly, making sure I was receiving the treatment I needed. I opened my eyes and nodded, meeting his curious eyes. There was this sudden thought I had, unsure whether I should really ask him or not. I ended up letting my desire speak for me this time.

"Aren't you going to join me?", I asked and watched the wolf raise his head quickly, "are you sure?".

As much as he wanted to jump in right away, he had to wait for my confirmation. I could read the desire in his eyes and pulled my knees closer to open some space. Not noticing I had opened a door which should have been kept locked for now.

"There's enough room for two", I stated. The wolf didn't hesitate this time, he had gotten his wanted answer and stood up. He swiftly took off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. During the whole process, I couldn't even take my eyes off him for a second. Once he pulled his pants down to his ankles, a deep blush covered my face. However, another thing caught my attention. The scars on his chest had vanished completely, as if nothing ever happened to him. I managed to look away right before his briefs were off. I stared down into the water while the wolf stepped inside the tub and sat down. His legs were long compared to mine so he had to spread them widely in order not to cramp me. I could basically feel his legs touch my thighs and chuckled at our condition. With his knees pressed against either side of the tub, he rested his arms on the rim and sighed.

"This feels really good", he closed his eyes and leaned his head backwards. This wasn't a sight I could see everyday, observing every second of this blessing moment. I wrapped my arms around my legs and pulled them closer against my chest, making sure they wouldn't land on the forbidden part.

"Enjoying yourself?", I asked, laughing quietly once the wolf lowered his head to meet my gaze. He took himself a moment to take in our position before he spoke, "don't tell me you're uncomfortable".

Having to leave this bathtub wasn't one of his wishes, he simply wanted to stay here. But if I was, in fact, feeling uncomfortable or cramped, he had to go. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. I shook my head and watched his eyes fall to my legs. Dipping both of his hands inside the water, he groped around its bottom. A low shriek escaped through my lips when I suddenly felt his hands holding onto my ankles.

"What are you doing?", I asked and watched the wolf stare down into the water.

"Just relax", he said and gently pulled me by my ankles, placing my legs on either side of his hips. This slightly more comfortable position was revealing another part of my body, feeling the heat rise to my head when the realization hit me.

"Please don't look down into the water", I begged and watched a dangerous grin form over this alpha's face.

"I've already seen you naked, (y/n)", he reminded and pulled my legs even closer, feeling my torso sinking lower into the water. My knees were sticking out from both sides and I finally figured what he was up to.

"I should have never let you in", I narrowed my eyes and tried to pull myself up again, only to feel him dragging me deeper into the water by sliding his hands under my knees and raising them.

"A mistake was made, now deal with it", the wolf said.

"Hey, stop-", I grasped for the rim of the tub right before the surface of the water reached my lips. However, I froze when I felt another thing. He finally had me where he wanted me, I had fallen into his trap. His hands were now holding onto my arms and pulling me closer, until I was fully sitting on his lap and rested my hands on his shoulders.

"That's harsh", I muttered, the embarrassment on my face couldn't be unseen. The wolf began placing kisses over my exposed neck, avoiding the silver necklace I was still wearing. I was sure that he could feel my racing heart, but also the little excitement growing inside. It couldn't be helped, we had come this far. He slid his hand down my back and pulled me even closer, closing the little gap between our chests before he whispered, "don't worry, I'll be gentle this time".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-  
Listen, I had really not planned to write this part but I thought the story wAS LACKING SOME WILD ROMANCE AND YEAH I'M NOT SORRY-  
Also, can you feel it? The rising of a freshly new friendship. I won't mention any names 'cause you'll find out very soon anyways.  
Thank you for reading<3


	7. Painting Colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I spent hours on this chapter to collect information I didn't even use!  
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻  
However, some of them were pretty helpful.  
┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ)  
Anyways, I found a new way to save my drafts so I'll be deleting **Wattpad** soon!  
Please, enjoy!<3

**Recommended song:**

**Cecilia Krull - My Life Is Going On**

**-**

"Milo!", I called out loudly, hoping to receive back any kind of response. I walked around the forest, desperately looking for the lost dog. Aside from being concerned for my friend, I felt another strange emotion. As if I knew this place, this moment. I continued to scan my surroundings and called out again, "Milo, where are you?!".

It was getting late, the sun had set long ago. It was only a matter of time before this forest faced darkness. Just then I heard the sound of rattling coming from a bush. I turned to my left, expecting to come across a small husky. Instead, a much larger animal emerged into my sight, forcing me to hold my breath. My eyes grew wide as I watched the large wolf approaching, it was growling deeply. Its fur was dark grey, its eyes pitch black. The small organ in my chest was racing, I was paralyzed with fear as the predator inched closer. This could be my end, I thought. I had to move, I had to make a run for it. But then I felt tight grips on my legs and looked down, only to witness dry roots wrapping around my limbs slowly.

"W-what is happening?", even though I had spoken out loudly, my voice echoed through the entire forest. It didn't take me long before I lost my balance and fell backwards. Only more roots arised from the underground and formed tight grips around my arms this time. I was strapped to the ground, unable to escape the large wolf. Another root wrapped itself around my neck and pulled me closer to the ground, stealing my view of the wolf. The more I struggled to free myself, the firmer the grips became. So I stopped moving completely, taking in the sight of the dark sky and the large trees.

I could hear the wolf coming closer and closer, but I couldn't move. And not only that, I also couldn't speak. The grasp around my neck was stealing my ability to fill my lungs with air. I began choking silently, my heart was about to burst out of my chest. The wolf was now standing over my body, it's dark eyes meeting my mine before my world turned black. Next, I jumped up and gasped for air. I found myself on a bed, caught in a cold sweat when I looked around. I was panting heavily, placing my hand over my pounding heart before I exhaled deeply.

"(y/n), are you okay?", I then heard a deep voice, watching how Jungkook walked up the stairs to reach my floor. He appeared to be worried, making me wonder if he heard me sleep-talking.

"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare", I explained, trying to shake off the last bits of memories I still had in my head. The alpha sat down on the bed and put his hand over my forehead, measuring my body heat.

"You are warm. Maybe it's time you leave this bed", he then said and stood up again, making me wonder for how long I had slept. Even though I felt extremely tired, I felt the need to clear my mind and nodded. He then went back downstairs while he informed, "come down and eat something".

I stretched my arms and looked out from the round window behind me. The sky was dark, it must have been really late. I then felt a slight pain on my neck, rubbing the stinging area before I remembered that it was the alpha's new bite. And when I wanted to stand up, I could feel a pressure in my abdomen. My legs and hips were aching, internally blaming the wolf. When I recalled the last events, I couldn't help but mutter his meaningless comments in pure annoyance, "you need to rest, he said. I'll be gentle, he said".

"I can hear you", his response came quickly, forcing me to narrow my eyes to the stairs. I slowly and carefully made my way to the lower floor, taking note of all the fruits and vegetables placed on various places in the cabin. Some of them were packed in baskets, others came in bags.

"Where did all of this come from?", I asked and stepped closer to the small dinner table, on which I had spotted an apple pie.

"These are gifts from the villagers. They know about you and are willing to provide you with whatever you need", Jungkook explained and pointed at the wrapping with clothes and towels in it. My eyes grew wider the more I gazed around the room. With an empty stomach all of this came across even lovelier.

"Are you saying all of this is for me?", I asked and wandered around the place, checking on some of the baskets. I then spotted a paper box with a red ribbon over it and decided to find out whatever they had hidden inside of it.

"Yes, all of this is for you", the wolf replied and watched me reveal the large cake hidden inside the gift box. He ended up sighing when he heard my soft gasp and formed a side smile.

"This is so lovely but-", overwhelmed by the strong kindness coming from the villagers, I slowly closed the box again. My eyes then fell upon the wolf as I continued, "-I have caused them so much trouble. I don't think I can accept these gifts".

"It's true that a lot has happened but no one's blaming you or me. They see you as brave and passionate ever since you brought me back to the village after we had been punished", the alpha explained and crossed his arms, looking proud when the recalled the events. Until now I had believed that move to be unacceptable, according to Namjoon's words. But here he was telling me otherwise so I asked, "I don't really understand".

"You see, wolves get banished from their villages when they commit a crime. But most punishments depend on gender and actions. And in my case, I had been left to die slowly. However, you came and not only did you end the punishment, you also brought me back to the village".

"Oh", my eyes fell to the ground, trying hard to avoid the images I had seen back in the church. Those were times I never wanted to remember, times in which I thought I had lost him.

"Also, it's rude to decline gifts that have been prepared with so much effort", he then suddenly added after noticing my sinking mood. I managed to push the dark thoughts to the back of my head and met his gaze again, smiling brightly as I nodded.

-

"I feel like you have changed", I pointed out and ate another piece of the apple pie. I had been watching Jungkook for the past ten minutes, taking note of the differences in his appearance.

"In what way?", he asked and raised an eyebrow, demanding a detailed enlightenment. Not wanting to irritate this alpha, I thought of a wise way to continue, "you've become quite serene and gentle".

"What do you mean? I've always been serene and gentle", the alpha said and stood up, leaving the small table. He walked to the closet and ignored the doubt I displayed him through the raise of my eyebrow.

"I am pretty serene and gentle compared to any other alpha male", he then added and obtained a point. He took off his shirt and revealed his toned back muscles to which I felt a faint blush cover my cheeks. I shoved another piece of pie into my mouth, trying to avoid the mesmerizing sight in the room. But it was no use, I fell victim to my own desire and turned to watch the wolf change his shirt. However, another detail caught my attention. His hair was longer, to the point his strands were covering his neck. His fangs were always long but the change in his hair growth was visible.

"Maybe even too serene and gentle", I was dragged out of my thoughts when the alpha spoke again. And once I spotted the grin on his face, I stared at the remaining pie on my plate.

"Mhm, sure", I muttered and shoved the last piece, which seemed a little too big for a normal bite, into my mouth. My eyes then caught something lying underneath a basket that stood next to my plate. When I pulled it free, I noticed that it was a large envelope. Without hesitation, I opened the envelope and took out the documents. There was no way I could overlook the large headline that said 'marriage license' and found myself choking on the pie. I grabbed the glass filled with water and chugged it down.

"Is there something with the cake?", the alpha asked as he hurried over. He then saw the document on the table and was quick to understand, sighing deeply before he explained, "this was supposed to be a surprise".

"Please, explain", I begged once I had caught my breath again, hand over heart, trying to remain calm. Jungkook took the seat opposite of me and leaned back.

"Do you remember the day you went out with Jimin?", he then asked and watched me take a moment to recall the event before I nodded my head.

"Your mother came into the room and asked me a few questions. She also wanted to know whether I was gonna marry you or not-".

My eyes began to grow wider, thinking how she never told me about this.

"-The thing is, we don't sign any papers to become husband and wife but apparently you humans do. So during our separation I asked Seokjin about it and he had a lot to explain-".

He then leaned in closer and took my hands into his, locking our eyes as he continued.

"-You and I are different and so are our cultures. Wolves don't marry each other like humans do. So I have also decided to marry you the way humans do".

"Just hold on a minute. What do you mean 'also'? And why are we following my culture all of the sudden?", I asked, frowning both eyebrows. The wolf didn't hesitate, he had his reason ready to throw out.

"Because that's what your mother wanted".

"She also wanted me to graduate first before marrying and getting pregnant", I pointed out with a lower voice, that was no actual reason to me. It seemed that I had hit a nerve of the wolf, watching him press his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

"That's not the issue, (y/n)", he said, looking rather displeased. But he wasn't letting go of my hands, not even going loose.

"The issue is that it feels like you're hiding something from me", I admitted and felt how the wolf tensed up for a short second before he eased down again.

"I'm not hiding anything from you, (y/n). I'm just saying that I will marry you in both, my way and your way", he said, indicating the fact that he was looking for a fair way to build our partnership.

"And how are you planning on doing that? Where did you even get those documents from?", I asked, being unable to follow his point.

"Your police friend helped me out. He said that he needs your sign first before he can do the rest", he explained and gave off the dedicated spirit inside of him. He had really planned all of this beforehand. Even if all of this was going too fast and seemed complicated, I was pregnant. I loved him more than anything on this world, maybe marrying him was the wisest thing to do. But again, how was that going to work out?

"What's the matter? Is that not what you wanted?", his deep voice brushed my thoughts out of the way, allowing me to observe his concerned expression and the faint scar on his cheek.

"That's not it, I was just thinking", I said, lowering my gaze to the table. With a tilt of his head, the wolf pulled my hands a little bit closer and gained my attention that way before he asked, "what were you thinking about?".

"All I need to do is sign a paper but what about you? How will it work out for you?", I asked and watched the grin on his face grow suddenly.

"You don't have to worry about that".

-

"Amazing-", Namjoon whispered with both of his hands over my exposed belly. He had his eyes closed, his warm palms gliding over the little baby bump.

"-I can feel it so well. It has grown a lot and seems to be in a good condition-".

He then gently removed himself and gazed upon me, taking in every detail and facial change.

"-However, you seem in no good condition. Your skin feels colder and you're lacking physical strength", he explained to which Jungkook frowned. He hadn't noticed the little changes in his own mate and feared that he might do so in the future too. I lowered my shirt while observing his statement and replied, "but I feel fine-".

"This is only the beginning, (y/n). You still have a few months to go and the more the baby grows, the more difficult it will be for you-", the leader cut me off and stood up. He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his pants and walked over to one of his large windows.

"-I know you're willing to take every risk for your child but please consider your own health too. Your health condition will also affect your baby, after all".

"What should I do then?", I asked and watched Namjoon turn on his heels.

"Not you, Jungkook will", Namjoon and I faced the brown haired alpha in the room at the same time before he listed, "he has to feed you well, make sure you rest and keep you warm. You shouldn't strain yourself during these times. Don't carry heavy weight and do not leave the house without your mate".

Jungkook was first to nod his head, meanwhile I was processing the new rules and stared at the wall blankly before I finally spoke, "that sounds really fun".

"This isn't a game, (y/n). We are trying to keep you and the child alive", Namjoon stated, sounding rather serious than annoyed. He then sighed and walked over to seat himself down next to me.

"I made a promise and I want to keep it", Namjoon said, his eyes were staring so deeply into mine that I thought he was going to read my mind and find my yearning for sleep. Just then the door opened quickly and revealed the black haired alpha. He stomped further inside the room, panting loudly while drops of sweat ran down his forehead.

"Next time, drag your own ass to the human side and get your own flowers", he threw in and slumped over the couch with his head leaning back. His chest was rising and falling heavily, revealing the fact that he had used more physical strength than he owned.

"What happened?", Jungkook asked and looked Jimin up and down.

"I'm sick of these humans and their constant improvements. I ask this lady for flowers, she asks for an ID. I only wanted fucking flowers", the tone in Jimin's voice rose within each word. I felt the urge to laugh and quickly covered my mouth, hearing Namjoon being the next to ask, "why did she ask for an ID?".

"Apparently for safety reasons. As if filling the streets with police men wasn't enough" Jimin explained and rubbed his forehead with his hand. He was obviously pissed but the more he complained, the harder it was for me to contain my laughter.

"And what did you do?", Jungkook asked, wanting to know the rest of the story. Jimin then raised his head and leaned forwards, placing his arms over his thighs before he replied, "I pretened like I was looking for my ID and when the lady looked away, I grabbed two flower pots and ran".

"You WHAT?", Namjoon's voice of disbelief echoed through the entire room. This time I bursted into laughter and even though my hand was still over my mouth, I couldn't hold back. On the other hand, the leader was shaking his head and sighed loudly.

"You know you could have picked flowers from the forest, right?", Namjoon reminded and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Jimin only shrugged and leaned back over the couch.

"It surprises me that you managed to escape", Jungkook commented to which Jimin snapped his head up, narrowing his eyes to the brown haired alpha, "are you calling me a slow runner?".

There is was, the famous tension between both male alphas no one had missed.

"Everybody knows you're slow", Jungkook said and formed a grin, forcing the black haired male to rise to his feet. Namjoon stood up in time and placed himself inbetween both alphas.

"Alright, that's enough. He went out and brought flowers for you, Jungkook. At least, thank him", Namjoon said and put both hands over his hips. While he waited for Jungkook to put his gratitude into words, Jimin was the one you protested, "I did it for (y/n), not for him".

A faint 'huh' left my lips when I heard the mention of my name. However, none of the males seemed to be distracted and only carried on with their tomfoolery.

-

"You can open them now", Taehyung said to which I removed my hands from my face and uncovered my eyes. I quickly came across the sight of a very light pink dress on a hanger that was hung on the door behind it. The long sleeved dress was made of tulle fabric, the arms and torso had little flowers pinned on them. The entire neck and shoulders were exposed, which didn't seem too fitting for this weather. But all in all, the dress wasn't too simple or too fancy. Just perfect for my taste.

"Woah", I exhaled as I stared at the breathtaking dress that hung before me.

"Is-is that mine?", I asked and pointed at the dress. Taehyung nodded and gazed over the dress before he explained, "this was made by the villagers for you. They worked hard to get the right size since you're a little smaller than our average females".

"They made this dress?", I asked, my eyes wide as I stepped closer and oberseved the details of it.

"Yes, we have some talented tailors in our village", the blond beta said and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. After Jimin's and Jungkook's rivalry hadn't found its end, Namjoon had told Taehyung, who had joined us a short moment later, to take me to his home. This was also the first time I had even seen or entered the beta's house. And here I was, slowly connecting the pieces together. First the envelope, then the flowers and now the dress. If I wasn't wrong, whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen today.

"Before I leave, I need you to sign this for confirmation", Taehyung then said and pointed at the marriage license lying, which he had gotten from Jungkook, on his desk. 

"Where are you going?", I then asked, slightly panicked since I had no idea what to expecting next.

"I'll give you privacy to change, of course", Taehyung explained, looking over at the dress. I then raised both eyebrows and asked, "do I change now?".

"Yes, everyone's waiting already", the beta stated and walked over to his desk, to which I followed him quietly. I couldn't help but ask him quietly, "what are they waiting for exactly?".

"For the ceremony. You might need to sign some papers to confirm your partnership but your mate has to go through a whole ritual", the beta explained, forming a long grin over his face. As nervous as I felt, I had to admit that all of this also sounded exciting. My eyes fell upon the document and noticed how Jungkook had already signed it, more like scribbled his name on it. I accepted the pen Taehyung had offered me and leaned closer to the paper, hearing the beta's whisper next to my ear, "think about all the things you two have been through and how far you have come".

And so I closed my eyes and dived into the pool of memories. The first time we met, how I treated his wounds, our tried-but-failed break up, the car accident, the old church, the bite mark, his heat- my face flushed a deep red so I decided to skip those memories. And the conclusion was the baby, our baby. Between all reasons for me to sign this license stood one argument against it, I hadn't graduated yet. But schools were closed, even though we had only a few months left for graduation. It was settled then. Without waisting another thought that could change my mind, I pressed the tip of the pen over the paper and signed it neatly.

"Congratulations", the beta said once I turned my head to meet his gaze. He had leaned over the desk as well and nodded with his head. Next, he gently slid the document into the envelope and folded it close.

"Well then, get ready", he winked and left the building. Now it was only me and my thoughts. But this was no time for me to let my thoughts take me on another ride since there was no one in the room that could drag me back into reality. I turned back to the dress and sighed, "I really hope you'll fit me".

-

I slowly opened the front door and peeked outside. I could hear the sound of a crowd in the distance but there was no one in sight. The dress fit me just perfect, as if it was made only for my body structure. But just like I had thought, it wasn't suitable for the weather. The fact that it was night only added to the chill in the air.

"Are you gonna stay there or are you actually going to step out?", I heard a male voice and flinched, looking up to see Jimin standing a few feet away from me with his arms crossed. I then saw a strange painting on his face, a straight red line that went over his cheeks and nose bridge.

"What's that on your face?", I asked and watched how he turned his head away, in order to hide the angry embarrassment on his face.

"The females insisted on painting me".

"Does it have a meaning?", I then asked but maybe I shouldn't have. The alpha's eyes widened for a second before an even deeper frown formed over his face. His voice was so quiet that I almost didn't understand him, "it means being an unmated alpha".

I couldn't help but chuckle but quickly covered my mouth when he narrowed his eyes on me. I assumed the females here were only trying to shoot their shot which was understandable.

"It looks goods on you", I said and caught a faint pink over his cheeks before he got even angrier. He stepped forward and ripped the door open, "will you get out already?!-".

I made a quiet scream when he forcefully opened the door, fearing I might get hurt. But when I opened my eyes, I saw him looking me up and down before he asked, "are you really going to wear that?".

"T-this dress was made by the villagers, it wasn't my choice", I explained and unintentionally covered my upper chest with my hands. There was a burn on my face, thinking about how this dress was going to draw everyone's attention to me. Jimin then sighed and stepped aside, motioning me to exit the building.

"I guess they forgot to consider you're a human. Just stay close to the fire", he said to which I nodded and held onto the dress, in order not to trip on it, and stepped outside. He then guided me to the place the ceremony took place. There were lanterns hung on ropes, providing the people with dim light. A large campfire stood in the centre, surrounded by benches that kept a safe distance from the flames. Every single wolf from this village was present this night. They were playing cultural music, dancing, singing, celebrating tonight's event.

"Good luck", Jimin suddenly said. All I could react with was a faint 'huh' before a few stares fell upon us. Once they took note of my arrival, about five females hurried over to me, gently held onto my hands and arms, and led me to a bench that had been especially decorated with flowers. With that, I had lost sight of Jimin completely. One of them got behind me and tied my hair into a loose bun, revealing the back side of my neck, and even added a few small flowers. After placing my hands over my lap, I began scanning my surroundings. But then the music stopped, forcing me to look around to find the reason.

"Wow", I exhaled quietly once I saw him, entering the scene from my right with a few other males behind him. He was shirtless and wore a stern look over his face, the orange flames only added to his tanned skin. My mouth was agape with astonishment, even though I was trying hard to hide most of the excitement. I then watched how they all stopped before their leader and Jungkook bowed down politely. One of the males had a bowl in his hands while Namjoon dipped a paintbrush in it. He then drew a red line from Jungkook's neck, down to his navel. And just below his chest, he drew another line from left to right. Now it seemed to be my turn as two females approached me.

One of them was holding a bowl with white paint, to which I assumed the other had the brush. I straightened my back and flinched when the cold paint made contact with my skin. She drew a line around my neck, making it look like a tight necklace, before she added a circle on my shoulders. Next, I saw her holding out her hand and took it. I carefully rose to my feet and turned to my right, finally locking eyes with him. I couldn't drop the smile from my face, catching his eyes taking in my outfit. I had no idea what was going but I was quite enjoying myself. This was a whole foreign ritual, guessing that this was how they paired wolves. I was struggling to follow their actions, since no one was saying a word.

All I could do was observe and repeat so when Jungkook dunked his right palm into the red paint, which was held by the same male, I did the same. The famale was already standing next to me and held the bowl so I raised my right hand and slowly lowered my palm into the white ink. The liquid felt cold against my touch and when raised my hand again, my palm was completely covered in white. Jungkook then slowly brought his hand closer to my chest, pressing it on my skin. But not just on any area, it was right above my heart.

When he slowly removed his hand again, I assumed that it was my turn and slowly did the same. I pressed my palm over his exposed chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my hand. And when I removed my hand, the white imprint of it remained on his chest. I looked down and noticed the same marking over my chest. Without any other hesitation, we were told to sit down over the bench. The music started playing again while people began cheering. I took this time to look at Jungkook, who was apparently waiting for my attention.

"Aren't you cold?", out of all the things he could have said, this was what he actually wondered. He was referring to the lack of clothing on my torso and comparing it to this weather, it would mean suicide. However, I wasn't feeling cold at all. Whether it was his presence or the big fire was unknown to me, but I felt a welcoming warmth. I shook my head and smiled, resting my head over his left shoulder.

"You could have at least told me about the ritual", I stated while watching the crowd. It was then that I took note of a few other males who had the exact same line as Jimin over their faces.

"The ritual was the main part of the surprise. There was no way I could tell you about it", Jungkook explained and leaned back over the wooden bench.

"Now that I know about the ritual, will you tell me what these paintings mean?", I then asked and took another glance at his chest. Jungkook shifted on his seat and turned to show his torso to me before he began, "the first line that goes straight down means that I have successfully grown to be a true alpha. The other line means that I have fulfilled my duty as an alpha and found my true mate. They use the color red on males as it represents strength, determination and love".

"Wow, that's really impressive. What about mine?", I asked excitedly and pointed at the lines drawn over my body.

"The circle on your right means that you're clean and that no other male laid hands on you. The circle on your left means that you have proven yourself worthy of an alpha. And the line around your neck simply shows that you've been claimed. Yours is in white as it stands for purity, safety and innocence. Though, you're not really innocent anymore", he added and formed a grin, receiving a smack to the arm. I mentally thanked the loud music, hoping no one was near us when Jungkook spoke.

And so the ceremony continued for the next hours and allowed us to enter the next day together. There was a lot to eat and drink, a lot of people who offered me a dance and children that kept bringing me small gifts. At some point I had found myself in the middle of a crowd, hopelessly seeking for a way out. Just then I stumbled over my own dress and fell forwards, only to land into someone's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a difficult chapter, please be nice T_T  
Look, I'm not the best but I'm trying my best. This chapter is very, very important. I tried my hardest (as always) and hope your wait was worth it.  
**ALSO**  
Please, read **Hidden Claws | Jimin's Story** in case you haven't yet. It's important you do to understand certain scenes.  
Thank you for reading!<3


	8. When It Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I had to change the chapter a little bit)  
I have like 2 active commenters (is that even a word?) but I appreciate their hard work!  
Look, I'm not very satisfied with this chapter but I've been working on it for 2 days straight and I am TIRED-  
Please, enjoy...

**Recommended song:**

**BTS – Don't Leave Me**

**-**

"Oh, sorry!", I quickly apologized and looked up to meet Taehyung's features. He had caught me just in time and helped me stand up again.

"No worries. I'm surprised you're still standing", he said and looked around the crowd. My eyes fell upon the circle underneath his left eye, which was painted in the color blue. My silent stare was enough for the beta to figure my curiosity and explained, "I know, I don't like face paintings either but I'm an unmated beta so I have to".

He sighed and put his hands over his hips. Their rituals were quite strange but truly interesting in some way. As the crowd got more cramped, the beta held me by my arm and pulled me towards an open space.

"May I ask how long this will go on?", I asked once the loud music wasn't disturbing anymore.

"We usually celebrate until the sun rises", Taehyung replied and formed a side smile, watching my jaw drop slowly.

"Until the sun rises?", I curved my eyebrows and saw the beta nodding with his head for confirmation. He could read the exhaustion off of me and looked around for a bit before he made a pleasing offer, "how about you sit by the females. I'm sure they would love your company".

I looked over and spotted about six women sitting over a thick blanket. There were a few pillows that actually forced me to accept the offer.

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do", I said and began marching towards the women. It didn't take them too long to notice my approach, making space for me to join them. However, my eyes were only fixed on the pillows, I really wanted to lay my head over them and sleep.

"May I take part in this comfortable looking locality?", I asked and they all offered me to sit down immediately.

"Please, come and join us. We would be honored", one of them said and wrapped a soft blanket over my back, covering my exposed shoulders and chest. I started to feel warmer and wondered if any of these women happened to be an alpha. They all looked so attractive and well built. They were easily a head taller than me, their skin tanned and glowing. I couldn't help but admire their appearances.

"So, how's the celebration going so far?", the one sitting on my right asked, leaning in closer since the music was loud in this area. I stared around the place as I began, "this is the first time I ever witnessed this kind of a ceremony but I find it very pleasing-".

My eyes then landed on Jungkook, watching him chug down his drink from a large mug before throwing it to the ground, to which he received cheers from the other males.

"-Uhm, as I was saying. I really like the atmosphere here".

I smiled and saw them nodding in agreement.

"I heard humans celebrate their partnership in a large hall where everyone sits quietly", one of them said, to which another added her own opinion, "really? That sounds boring".

As they continued, I could feel my ears give in. My eyelids were falling, they were blocking my view slowly while my head began sinking.

"You seem really tired", I then heard a soft whisper coming from my left and turned to see a female place a pillow down near me. This was it, my ticket to the land of dreams. I thanked her quietly and slowly lied down, feeling her cover my body with another blanket. They sure came prepared to this ceremony, I thought. When I closed my eyes, there wasn't much that happened later. The last thing I heard was her hushing down the others before I fell into a deep slumber.

-

The time was 4:22 pm when I finally opened my eyes again. I slowly raised myself from the bed I was on, took in my surroundings and froze. I had slept through the entire ceremony. I was still in my dress, my hair had turned into a mess and the smudged painting on my skin was smeared all over the sheets. I sighed deeply and tried to reach for the zipper in my back, I really had to get out of this dress. Somehow my body felt very tense, my muscles wouldn't let me stretch. After a few failed attempts, I heard someone walking up the stairs.

"Need any help?", Jungkook asked and sat down by the bed. I then gave in and pointed towards my dress, not realizing that he was observing my current state and made fun of it, "you look nothing like the person from last night".

"Thanks for the comment. Now please, help me undress", I said and caught the alpha holding in a laughter before he stood upand pulled the zipper all the way down, revealing my entire back. After managing to take off the dress, I dropped myself back over the bed.

"My ankles hurt", I groaned while the alpha sat by my legs and took my ankles into his hand. Just when I looked up at him, he began massaging them painfully to which I threw my head back down again. No matter how gentle his touch was, every rub felt like he was twisting my bones over and overa gain. I ended up pressing a pillow against my face to dim my soft groans, not wanting to excite the alpha who seemed ready at any given chance. Later, I took a bath under the alpha's watch and put on clean clothes. I could already take in the welcoming smell of food and strolled over to the table.

"For how long did I sleep?", I asked quietly when I came across the window, watching how the sun was already setting. The wolf took himself a moment, calculating the amount of hours in his head before he replied, "about 14 hours, I think".

"Are you serious? Why didn't you wake me up?", I asked and sat down on the chair. Jungkook placed a plate filled with well-cooked meat and vegetables in front of me as he explained, "I tried to wake you many times but you were sleeping so deeply, you didn't even respond to our calls".

"Did I miss anything?", I then asked and heard the wolf chuckle before he replied.

"No, you didn't", he placed a cup of warm milk down next to my plate and sat down in front of me. I scanned the food on the plate and felt my mouth already drooling.

"Did you make these?", I asked and the wolf nodded, receiving continuous praises while I filled my empty stomach.

"This was so good but too much", I said and leaned back, rubbing my belly gently in round motions.

"You have to eat a lot, (y/n). Don't forget that you're carrying my child and a wolf eats twice as much of your daily nutrition", the alpha reminded and gestured me to wait.

"Firstly, it's our child. Secondly, it'll be half human", I said while my gaze followed the wolf to the living room. There was a small box over the small table, which the wolf took and brought over.

"What is this?", I asked and accepted the box.

"A small gift. I forgot to give it to you yesterday", he replied and watched me slowly open the box, hearing me gasp softly as I took in the beauty of the ring. It was made out of rose gold with flower designs and had one diamond attached to it.

"Wow, that's- that's really beautiful", I said and took the ring out before I slowly slipped it into my ring finger.

"And it fits", I added and smiled. When I looked up to the wolf, I noticed how distracted he seemed. As if his mind had wandered off, he was observing this moment through a different mind.

"Jungkook?", I called and snapped with my fingers. The wolf blinked back into reality and met my eyes.

"Sorry, I was just thinking how all of this actually happened. We really managed to come this far. I never thought I'd marry you in my village".

"Like you once told me; if fate has written our names next to each other, we will always be together", I said softly and took hold of his hand, only to feel him secure his grip. He was quick to lean over, not allowing me to react before crashing our lips together.

-

"And you had to stay outside?", I asked as my eyes grew wide. The wolf nodded and continued, "yes, through the whole night. My mother took me back inside as soon as my dad had left the house".

With our arms interlocked we had gone out to take a walk in the village, since Namjoon had specifically told Jungkook to make sure I wasn't letting my exhaustion take over me, and were on our way back home. It was cold and already dark, making me question for how long we had been outside. The cold air had turned my cheeks red, my legs began to feel numb and forced me to rest.

"Jungkook, do you have a moment?", suddenly, a male approached out of nowhere and called for the alpha. It seemed to be urgent so when Jungkook eyed me, I felt the need to let him go.

"I'll go ahead", I informed and saw him nodding before he left with the other male. Our home wasn't far so it was fine. But after a few minutes of walking, I spotted Jimin in the distance. He was sitting on the ground, staring up to the stars. I went through a round of thoughts before finally deciding to join him, even though I wasn't sure if this was a good idea.

"May I join you?", I asked softly, once I stood next to the wolf. Jimin snapped his head back, looking surprised that he didn't hear, nor sense my approach.

"It's too cold for you two", he simply said after looking back at the sky. However, I wasn't planning on giving up easily and insisted.

"You'll keep us warm", I heard a loud sigh from the wolf and after a few silent seconds, he finally gave in, "just a little bit".

Without hesitation, I sat down close to the black haired wolf and mimicked his behavior. I looked up to the night sky and took in the beauty of the black painting filled with glitter.

"So pretty", I mumbled under my breath. I wondered how an aggressive person like him found the silent observation of the stars pleasing and decided to ask him myself, "do you like watching the stars?".

Jimin seemed quiet for a moment. His gaze sank but he gave no response, he only stared forwards. This was a sign that my question had brought up other thoughts, that he was answering me but internally. In this case, I decided to soothe the atmosphere a little, "my mother once told me that the sky was a love story. The moon showed his love for the sun by gifting it all of his colors. And in return, the sun has given the moon every star it could find".

When I heard the wolf chuckle under his breath, I formed a side grin without staring at him.

"This sounds like a message of morality. That people should return the kindness they get if they want both sides to be balanced in everything", his voice was deep and raspy, telling me that we weren't even on the same frequency.

"What do you mean?", I asked and turned to look at him. He was still staring up while he explained, "the different colors during day time are just as beautiful as the dark sky filled with stars. The sun has given the moon just as much beauty as it gained. Even though this statement indicates morality, it doesn't apply to us. We give so much to life, but life only takes more from us".

"Jimin", I shifted in my position and looked at him more properly. And then I saw it clearly, a tear. Jimin was crying, even though he seemed to be trying hard to hold back. The alpha took note of my behavior and turned his head away. I wondered if my words had caused him to feel this way, blaming myself for my thoughtless actions. I felt the need to apologize and just when I wanted to do so, the alpha stood up.

"Alright, that's enough. It's time you get into a warm place", he said and pointed towards my home that stood a little away from where we were. I couldn't just leave as if nothing happened and tried again, "Jimin, I-".

"You need to go home, (y/n). If anything happens to the child, I will kill you", he cut me off and turned away, making his threat as he walked away. All I could do was watch him disappear in the distance before I turned to leave as well. I hurried back home and took note of how tired I felt, dreaming about the warm bed that was awaiting me.

-

Two weeks had passed ever since then. Jungkook and I had been called to Namjoon's house for new information. Jimin and Taehyung were present as well, when we stepped inside the cabin.

"Greetings, you two. Please, come in", Namjoon greeted and gestures us inside. I sat down on the couch while Jungkook remained behind me again, keeping his hands inside the pockets of his tight pants.

"Is everything alright?", I asked and saw Namjoon shaking his head. I didn't like this, not when I was in this condition. Namjoon then looked over Taehyung and nodded, to which the beta began explaining, "I just found out that the government has finally made a decision. They will evacuate your town and collect every person related to wolves to imprison them until further plannings".

My eyes widened in horror, my biggest fear had come to face me.

"What do you mean 'evacuate'? Where will those people go?!", I asked and stood up, feeling Jungkook's hand over my shoulder.

"I am not sure but the procedure will start tomorrow morning", Taehyung added. I couldn't believe it, I didn't wanna believe it. After all the things, all the risks and sacrifices, humans were still excluding wolves. I slowly sat back down again, placing my hand over my racing heart. The men in the room were having their conversation, exchanging their ideas. However, I couldn't listen to them. My mind had wandered off to another issue, to the fact that I wasn't going to see my parents again. That everyone I knew was going to leave me. Without noticing, I was thinking out loud, "I have to see my parents".

When I raised my head, I caught them all staring at me in a way as if they feared to hear this exact wish.

"You can't do that", Jungkook was the first to ban my desire, followed by Namjoon's unnecessary explanation, "leaving the village now would be the least wise thing to do. You might also be seen as related, (y/n)".

"But they will start tomorrow. Please, let me see my parents", I protested and turned to look at Jungkook. Though I had expected him to share empathy, I found him frowning at me. He was determined to keep me here so trying to change his mind seemed no good.

"They have secured every entrance to your town, (y/n). If you try to cross it, you will be caught", Taehyung said but I chose to ignore his warning and kept my stare on Jungkook. I had to convince him to agree, I needed him if I wanted to go there again. Going alone was out of question. The wolf then crossed his arms and took a step closer, the couch was the only obstacle keeping him away from me.

"Stop staring at me like that, (y/n). You're not going anywhere".

"Please", I begged but he only shook his head. He wasn't even considering it, which hit a nerve of mine.

"My parents are leaving this town and I don't know where they are going. If you don't let me see them, I might never find them again", I explained and held my voice a little louder this time. Jimin had stepped out of the topic completely, he was only observing from the corner.

"I understand how you feel but if you leave, you might never come back", Namjoon then said, trying to ease the tension between the brown haired alpha and me. But it wasn't working, I could already feel the angry fire growing in my eyes. They weren't going to help me, so I had figure a way out myself.

"You can't understand, none of you can. But if your family was still alive, you would've known how I feel", I might have crossed the line by adding their past into the game but I felt the urge to despise their behavior towards this situation. And without further discussion I stood up and left the building. I stomped through the streets, wiping away the falling tear as I drew a little bit of unwanted attention to me. I ended up reaching the big well and decided to calm down as no one was around. I stared down into the well, seeing my reflection looking back at me.

"I fell inside once", I heard a deep voice and flinched. When I turned around, I spotted Jimin with his arms crossed.

"You fell inside the well?", I asked and wiped away another tear. The wolf approached me slowly and nodded with his head, "yeah, and it wasn't fun at all".

"How did you fall?", I asked, being unable to imagine anyone actually fall inside this well by accident.

"I was taking water for my mother but was pushed down. Now guess from whom", he explained and raised both eyebrows. I could tell that the recall of this memory was enough to piss him off. In fact, I didn't have to think for too long, the answer was obvious, "it was Jungkook, wasn't it?".

"Correct. But he was also the one who pulled me out again", he then added. I faced the alpha, not sure of what to do with this kind of information. But when he noticed my confusion, he decided to elaborate, "what I'm trying to say is that despite his asshole behavior, he is a good person. Don't blame him for not letting you go, he is just scared of losing you. He almost lost you once and that was enough for him to make sure he doesn't even take the risk".

"I get it, I also don't wanna lose him but they are my parents", I said and lowered my gaze, there seemed to be no way out. Maybe accepting my fate was the only option.

"I know, that's why I talked about Jungkook and not me", Jimin's sudden change of words forced me to raise my head and question him, "what?".

"Exactly. Let's go".

Without further explanation, he began walking into the direction that lead to my town.

"Wait, where are we going?", I called after him and hurried to catch up. The wolf stopped in his tracks and turned to face me before he asked, "do you wanna see your parents?".

"I-I do", I managed to halt just in time and prevented us from bumping into each other. He then formed a grin and motioned with his head to follow him, "then hurry".

-

"Taehyung was right. There are way too many guards", I whispered while scanning the area. Jimin and I were hiding behind thick bushes, trying to figure out a way to evade trouble.

"There's only one way", Jimin muttered and took a few steps backwards.

"What are you doing?", I asked when the wolf began taking off his clothes while making his orders, "you have to hurry up, I might not be able to buy you a lot of time".

He then dropped his shirt and pants aside, standing there only in briefs. Just when I wanted to cover my eyes, I finally figured what his plan was.

"Are you out of your mind?! They are going to kill you!", I whispered loudly and saw the wolf winking as he spoke, "you owe me big time".

And with that, he transformed into a large wolf, black fur replacing human skin. I had forgotten the size of a wolf and couldn't help but flinch when he suddenly grew twice his size.

"Please, don't die", I whispered and heard him howl quietly before he charged into the streets. I watched how the guards quickly got into action and even called for backup. Jimin dashed towards the other side of town, forcing them all to follow him and grant me an open path. I hurried out of my hiding spot and ran to our back door, hammering my fists on it repeatedly. The door then opened by my father this time. His eyes grew wide when he saw me, assuming I was the last person he had expected to see. I gently pushed him inside and closed the door behind me to secure safety first.

"(y/n), what are you doing here?", my father asked, and to my surprise, he didn't seem upset at all. In fact, I could read the relief off of his eyes.

"I came to see you. I heard that you are evacuating this town", I explained and saw him nodding with his head before he spoke, "yes, the government wants to clear this place out and make sure every wolf has been caught before we can return to our homes".

"Where are you gonna go?", I asked to which my dad ran his fingers through his hair.

"We'll go to my brother for now, he was the only one I could reach", he replied and just then I heard someone running downstairs, catching the sight of my mother with her arms wide.

"(y/n), you came?", she asked and took me into her embrace. Remembering Jimin, I knew that I was running on short time.

"I can't stay for too long. I wasn't even allowed to come here but I wanted to see you again when I heard about the news", I said and they both nodded, which wasn't the kind of response I had expected. They were rather understanding and supportive when I told them of the ceremony. I was told that Hoseok was leaving too but Yoongi, however, was staying here. They had already packed their stuff and were ready to leave in the morning.

"I'm so glad you came", my mom's voice was breaking as she held tightly onto my hands. Even my father seemed to be glad to witness my presence for the last time. He wasn't talking much but he sure was enjoying my company.

"How did you get through the police?", she asked, knowing how heavily guarded this town had been lately.

"Let's say I got help", I said and formed a grin, only to raise their concern unintentionally.

"So you aren't gonna come with us?", they wondered.

"I can't".

"Why not?", my mother asked and curved her eyebrows. I wasn't sure how to put it into words, knowing that I had to tell them the actual reason for me to stay here. I inhaled and glanced down to my belly as I attempted to sound perceivable, "I-uhm, I have to keep our child near the father because it has to feel his warmth. I know it sounds strange but that's supposedly how it goes".

Both my parents stared back at me blankly for a few seconds before my father snapped, "that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. What does the father's warmth have to do with your pregnancy?-".

"And besides, you'll be needing a doctor", my mother pointed out, reminding me that Seokjin was also going to leave. I mentally cursed and met her eyes, not knowing how to respond them, "what about Jungkook? I can't just leave him".

"Give him our location so he can come too", my mother said, and that really did manage to convince me. However, I was still unsure.

"Fine, I'll go back and talk to him but I can't make any promises", I said and watched my father frown, he clearly didn't like how the wolf held power over my own decisions that involved health issues.

"The main street at the church isn't being watched, we'll wait for you there. If you don't show up till 8 am, we'll have to go without you", my father explained and I nodded, taking a mental note of the time and place. I then remembered Jimin and immediately turned to the door.

"I have to go now", I informed.

"Wait!", when I heard my father calling after me, I stopped on my tracks and turned to face him. He was standing there, completely still with his arms wide. I didn't hesitate and ran into his arms, feeling my mother hug me from behind.

"In case he disagrees, silver will do effective damage", he whispered into my ear to which I chuckled. I then walked to the backdoor and opened it slowly, making sure it was safe to step out. To my luck, no one seemed around so I mentally thanked Jimin.

"Be careful!", I heard my mother call and sent them both a smile before I closed the door and rushed over to the trees. The overexertion on my body forced me to a sudden halt, assuring my balance by holding onto a tree. I was panting heavily while trying to fill my lungs with air again. This also reminded me of how much weaker I had become, a little bit of running was already stealing most of my stamina. The last time I had left my house, I had told myself that this wasn't permanent. Just how the tables had turned. My entire body jolted when I heard leaves rustling near me, later I spotted a black wolf emerging into my sight slowly. I sighed in relief when he seemed unharmed, it was time we went back home.

-

"Uh oh", I mumbled the moment I caught Jungkook standing in front of our house, with his arms crossed and an expression that displayed nothing but anger. Jimin stopped a few meters away from him, lowering himself down slowly before I climbed off. I gave his head a soft stroke and thanked him quietly, watching him dash out of the scene. When I faced the angry alpha again, I swallowed down the pressure in my throat. And without a word, I slowly approached him. He stepped aside and waited for me to enter the house, hearing him slam the door shut behind me.

"Where were you?", I froze when I heard his words, which sounded more of a threat than aquestion. His voice was deeper than ever, he really was pissed.

"I-I went to see my parents", I didn't turn around when I replied. After all, I was still upset at him and had to remain confident.

"Why did you go? I had told you not to", he then asked. There it was, his possessive alpha side. Alphas had the right to control their mates, no matter in what situation. That was what made being an alpha so special, they owned power. But in my case, in which I was a human, I wasn't obeying to him they way I should be. And that was irritating him as he had no such power over me.

"I know you told me not to go but I did it anyway", I said as I slowly turned around, staring him in the dark eyes. He was clenching his jas now, which made me remind myself to not anger him any further. But it was too late, he was inching closer slowly, raising his head as he looked down on me.

"Do you think you can just act on your own?".

"You wouldn't come with me so I had no other choice", I said, my voice growing quieter the closer he got. He raised an eyebrow, clarifying the fact that he didn't like me talking back to him. I began taking small steps backwards and felt the need to explain myself.

"My parents want me to go with them. They will be waiting for me in the morning and said that I could give you the location since you can't go with them-".

I then felt the wall behind me, the wolf was still approaching slowly.

"-I also heard that Doctor Kim is leaving too. I'll need a doctor soon, Jungkook".

The alpha stood right before me, leaving only a few inches between our faces. I could feel his warm breath when he spoke, "you only need me".

I couldn't believe his stubbornness and frowned. I looked him deeply in the eyes, knowing what kind of answer he was about to give me.

"Listen closely, (y/n)-".

He placed both hands on either side of my head, over the wall behind me.

"-I forbid you to leave this village".

My vision became blurry as tears began to form, my chest heaving deeply. He simply turned around and exited the house, slamming the door behind him. I slumped to the ground, feeling the tears stream from both eyes.

"He didn't even listen to me", I whispered and felt my heart sinking further into darkness. That day I didn't leave our house at all, to be more specific, I went to bed and cried myself to sleep. It wasn't a mature move, but one that helped me ease some of the sorrow. When I heard Jungkook's return, I pretended to be asleep. Neither did I wanna talk to him, nor have him talk to me. And just like he had told me, I didn't leave the village the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I know this chapter was dark but you have to bear with me.  
No one said that bad things can't become worse :'D
> 
> (Ps: I made up the moon and sun story, such thing doesn't actually exist so you won't find it on the internet.)


	9. The Vantage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the name of Kook's tiddies, what the fvck is this chapter??? I never struggled this hard on any chapter and I still HATE it but I've been working on it for so long and it's delivering the message so I guess...it's okay....???  
ANYWAYS  
You might notice that I changed the writing style a little <s>please don't ask why :")</s>  
Just try to enjoy this chapter, I know it's shit but it's important T_T

**Recommended song:**

**Allie X - Good**

**-**

"Are you two still not talking?", Taehyung asked as we took a walk through the forest early in the morning. I shook my head and heard the beta sigh, "you guys are really troublesome".

"But he was supposed to come along", I protested, not wanting to be seen as the bad guy of this matter. With his hands inside the pockets of his coat, the wolf turned to look at me and raised an eyebrow, "how do you plan on living there with him? The reason your parents and all the other citizens left is because the government is still standing against our kind. You'd have to hide for the rest of your lives. At least, this village grants you two freedom and support".

My gaze sank to the floor as I observed his point of view, realizing that my actions could have caused more trouble than we already owned.

"You insist on staying with your family but don't realize that your new family is here, with you. Jungkook is a wolf, his lifestyle and culture is different than yours but you let him mate you so we all assume you accepted him. Please, consider that he has already done many things no wolf is permitted to do", he then added and forced my mind to recall the words Jimin had said about the sun and moon. The moral was to give back the exact same amount of effort to the one that gave it. Jungkook and I were different from one another, just like the sun and the moon. And somehow I felt like I wasn't giving back the efforts I had received.

"I never thought of it that way", I confessed quietly, feeling the guilt turn into embarrassment. Taehyung then chuckled as he spoke again, "now you do".

"I was thoughtless again. What do I do, Taehyung?", I asked and looked up to meet the beta's brown eyes. He formed a slight grin and replied, "I suggest you talk to him before he turns wicked".

"What?".

"Just talk to him", he repeated.

-

I sat down to the dinner table, scanning the warm food over my plate before my eyes fell to the wolf. Once he had placed my food in front of me, he walked over to the couch and took his seat. I formed a frown, not liking the forced distance between us and inhaled as I remembered Taehyung's words.

"A-aren't you gonna sit with me?", I asked and looked over to my left. The alpha only ignored my question, guessing that he was still as mad for yesterday. But I had to try again.

"Please, come and sit with us", I said and made sure to point out the 'us' by voicing it a little louder. All I saw was the alpha turning his head a little but he was still looking away. This meant that I had managed to affect him, but it wasn't enough yet.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Just come here".

Still no response. I groaned quietly and stared over my plate. I mentally cursed and glanced over to the alpha again. I then stood up slowly and made my way to the wolf. I sat down closely to him, our bodies were literally pressed against each other but the wolf still didn't move.

"I'm sorry for what I said about your parents and I'm sorry for leaving the village without permission", I then closed my eyes, his silent responses were kind of hurtful. But a short moment later, he finally turned to look at me. When I opened my eyes again, I meet his dark orbs staring back at mine. Neither did he seem annoyed, nor wanted me to leave his side so I continued.

"I didn't really think what would happen if we left", my voice began to grow quieter, feeling kind of nervous at his dark stare. Not even a single feature on his face was moving. I then had the thought that his love for me might have lessened, that he was thinking of a way to tell me off.

"I said I'm sorry-".

Tears began forming in my eyes as Lee's words crossed my mind.

"-Why aren't you saying anything?".

"I wanted to see how far you would go", Jungkook finally said and formed a side grin. He then swung one arm behind me over the couch and leaned in closer.

"Although I don't like seeing you cry, this time it pleases me", he said and gently wiped away my tears with his thumb.

"You're really mean", I muttered in annoyance, knowing this was the treatment I deserved. I couldn't help but sigh in relief, noting that my fears would remain in the back of my head.

"Everything could have gone wrong, (y/n). You could have been caught, Jimin could have been killed and we wouldn't even know about it. I could have lost the two of you", he explained and placed his hand over the little baby bump, making it fair for him to be upset. He then took my hand into his and pointed the ring to me.

"We made a promise", he reminded to which I nodded, feeling a blush covering my face. With his hand over the back of my head, he pulled me closer and pressed his lips against my forehead.

"Now stop crying and eat your food".

-

Time ran by quickly as two more weeks passed by. The land was covered by a thin layer of snow. Everyone had left town, everyone except for some policemen that kept guarding for any unwanted intruders. But those weren't the only changes, I had gone through drastic changes as well. When it came to my appearance, I had lost weight and my skin looked pale. My baby bump was now protruding into sight and making it hard for me to sleep, which led to the struggle with fatigue. My appetite had faded but the feeling of thirst only grew. Not only that, I was also facing physical pain over my body. The affected parts were my back, my thighs and my abdomen. Despite all the difficulties, I stepped outside the house and tried to enjoy this time. Because the more I suffered, the closer I was to give birth.

"So it has been three months already?", one of the females asked and I nodded. We were sitting around a campfire, taking in the heat of the dancing flames as the dark sky above us added to the calm atmosphere.

"It's so strange to see someone carry a child for longer than three months", another woman added, she had light brown hair and green eyes. They had all given birth before, made their experiences and came here to stuff me with helpful advices. I inhaled the cold air filtered through the thick scarf around my mouth, keeping my hands near the fire to keep them warm.

"A human pregnancy takes about nine months. You guys are pretty lucky", I said and chuckled, watching her jaw dropping to the ground. Some of them didn't know much about humans so whenever I stated another fact, I got to see their hilarious reactions. The eldest, who was a mother of three beautiful daughters, spoke next, "everything's the same but a little faster. We also go through physical changes but turn to normal once we give birth. However, you might also wanna know that the child grows quickly during the first months".

"What do you mean?", I asked her with a slight frown over my face. Even though I believed to know everything, they managed to surprise me with more.

"In its first five months, the child will grow to become a five year old. After that, it will age normally".

"F-five years old?", I asked and watched them all nod. This felt worse than it sounded, thinking how my child was gonna be able to talk to me a few months after being born. That also meant that I wouldn't be enjoying much of the baby time.

"But why?", I then asked, I needed a scientific explanation for such a quick growth in such little time.

"The body of a child develops quicker so it can improve its survival capability. We don't exactly know why but that's how it's been with everyone. After all, they learn to transform at a very young age", one with blonde hair explained while she shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. I could only think of one thing and began calculating Jungkook's real age. When I discovered that he was actually underage, I screamed internally. I was married to a minor.

"Hey, are you okay?", the woman next to me asked and placed her hand over my shoulder, dragging me out of my misery.

"You look very pale", the blonde wolf added. They were all staring back at me, making me wonder for how long I had stayed silent. I pushed my thoughts to the back of my head and exhaled deeply, "ah, no, I'm fine".

"Are you sure? We can take you home if you like", the eldest offered but I shook my head, confirming them that it was fine. She then smirked when she spoke, "good, because there is something else you need to be aware of".

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned serious as they all formed strange smiles over their faces. They all seemed to have made their experiences and now it was my turn.

"It's about your alpha. The closer you are to give birth, the more aggressive they become. Their desire to protect their family will grow and force them to, you know, attack everyone that gets near them", she explained to which the others nodded. They were all looking into different directions, not making any eye contact with me. When I met the dark eyes of the eldest, she decided to help me out of my confusion, "we have been through it a lot before. Just make sure you don't leave his side too often during this time".

I made sure to take a mental note of that, not wanting to have Jungkook attacking anyone in the village. The brown haired female then nudged the one next to her before she spoke, "though, I don't think her alpha will ever leave her side".

"I know right, he sure does love her", the other said and they both chuckled. The eldest cleared her throat, telling them both to quit but they had already awakened my curiosity. I looked over to the eldest with a huge question mark over my head, hearing her sigh before she began, "we heard that your alpha was in heat before you two mated. An alpha in heat produces a scent that allures whoever gets near him, no matter what kind".

My heart skipped a beat as I heard her words repeating themselves in my head. The more I refused to think of Lee, the more reasons I was receiving to confirm her clarifications. Could this really mean that Jungkook intended to impregnate me only to get rid of Lee? Did she tell me the truth?

"Who's there?", I heard the eldest ask angrily, her voice sounded deeper this time. I had been distracted by my thoughts again and didn't realize that the others had sensed a stranger's approach. Everyone rose to their feet as they stared at the bushes and trees near us. One of them positioned herself right in front of me, the others formed defensive postures. When the bushes started rustling, two of the females transformed into large wolves to which I flinched and held tightly onto the thick blanket around me. My heart was pounding really fast, fearing that the enemy was finally here. They came for me, they were gonna take me-

"Calm down, it's just me!", Jimin shouted and stepped out of the bushes with his hands up in the air. I sighed in relief, hearing the females scolding him, "what kind of guardian are you?! You can't just sneak up on us like that!".

"Whatever", Jimin shrugged and crossed his arms, clearly irritated by their way of treating him. This could also be a reason why he hadn't mated anyone from here, I thought. However, I was stuck at the mention of the word 'guardian' and blinked in confusion when I saw him nearing me.

"What are you doing here anyways?", the eldest asked with her eyes fixed on the alpha. He reached out his hand to me and waited for me to take it while he replied, "it's bedtime".

Without a word, I accepted his hand and stood up. Allowing him to guide our way, I waved towards the others before we made our departure. I mentally thanked him for his well-timed entrance, I really was close to pass out from all the exhaustion.

"So you are my guardian, huh?", I asked after a while of silent walking and caught him turning his head away, probably hiding the blush again.

"Will you tell me what that means?", I wondered and heard him sigh deeply. He was still looking away as he explained, "whenever a female gets pregnant, someone is chosen to serve and protect her, in case her mate is absent. No one wanted you so I volunteered".

"You volunteered to look after me?", I asked and raised an eyebrow, I liked how I was the only one who could tease him without getting attacked. He threw me a stare of pure irritation as he protested, "no, to make sure you stay out of trouble".

"How nice of you", I said softly and smiled, only to watch the alpha turn his head away again. He was lacking social skills but had his own ways to show gratitude or appreciation.

"Wait, when was this even chosen?", I asked after a while of silent walking, I couldn't recall any event in which I was informed to require a guardian. Jimin kept his eyes forwards and replied simply, "during the ceremony".

"And where was I?", I asked again, meeting the annoyed expression on Jimin's face when he spoke, "asleep".

"Oh".

-

Feeling the heavy pressure over my chest, I gasped for air and managed to wake myself from my deep sleep. I took in my surroundings and found myself in my bed, covered in sweat. Feeling a wave of dizziness, I fell backwards down over the mattress and started panting. My actions had woken up the shirtless wolf who was rubbing the sleep off of his face before he rolled over to his side.

"Everything alright?", he asked and scanned my current condition, taking note of my red cheeks. He then placed his palm over my forehead and frowned.

"You've got a fever", he said and quickly stood up. But right after he swung the blanket away, he froze. When I looked up, I saw him staring down to my legs. Whatever had caught his attention, it didn't seem to be good.

"Just stay calm", the wolf said and climbed off the bed. If he had really thought that this would actually keep me calm, he was wrong. I immediately sat up and stared down, gasping at the pool of blood between my legs.

"Oh my God", I yelled and shut my eyes which just witnessed a horrific sight, "there is so much blood!".

"What part of 'stay calm' didn't you understand?", the alpha asked and brought a wet towel.

"Easy for you to say, you are not the one bleeding", I angrily said and dropped myself back over the bed, the dizziness was still lingering in my head. Jungkook then took off my pants and began wiping away the blood on my legs.

"This is no use, you need a shower", he explained and looked at the towel, which was already soaked in blood.

"I don't think I can do go anywhere without falling into my death", I said and tried to point out the fact that I was feeling dizzy. The alpha formed a deep frown and without taking any further consideration, he slid his arms below my body and lifted me up. I felt a sharp pain through my abdomen and groaned, forcing him to stop quickly.

"Are you feeling pain?", he asked and looked over the bed again to note how much blood I had lost.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me", I replied and rested my head over his chest. He carried me bridal style and took me downstairs, hearing the sound of water filling the tub. After taking a hot bath and putting on clean clothes, we figured that the bleeding had stopped. But the fever had gotten worse so Jungkook called Namjoon, hoping he would find a solution. I sat on the couch, curled up with a thick blanket as we waited for Taehyung's arrival.

"Are you feeling any better?", Namjoon asked and watched me nod slowly. He had given me painkillers for now which dimmed most of the pain. He placed the back of his hand over my forehead, trying to measure my fever. I could sense his irritation about Seokjin's absence, we were helpless without him.

"This isn't good", he said and sighed loudly. Jungkook was leaning over the couch with his hands supporting his balance. Whenever he was nervous and unable to help, he tended to observe the situation from afar until spotting a way to interfere in a beneficial way. Just then the front door opened and two males showed up, it was Taehyung with Jimin next to him.

"I'm sorry for the wait, we came as fast as we could", Taehyung said and closed the door behind him. When Jungkook told him about the issue, the blond beta was quick to come up with an idea. But he required Jungkook as a wolf if we wished for quick help, simply because he was the fastest.

"We won't take long", the alpha said, placing a soft kiss over the back of my hand before both wolves took off.

"Where are they even going?", Jimin asked and crossed his arms, still irritated by the fact that he was indirectly called slow.

"Taehyung travels a lot, he knows the nearest town that's still inhabited. They're gonna try to find a doctor that could replace Doctor Kim's assistance for now", Namjoon replied and went into the kitchen, filled a glass with cold water and brought it to me. I quietly thanked him and drank from the glass, feeling the cool liquid running down my dry throat.

"And how long is this gonna take them?", Jimin then asked and slumped over the single couch with his legs spreading widely. Namjoon took a moment to glance at his sitting position and sighed.

"I have no idea. I guess, we'll just have to wait", he said and turned to look at me, noticing how mildly my body was shaking.

"Are you still cold?", Namjoon asked to which I nodded, feeling unable to form any word. While Namjoon looked around the area to find another object that would provide me with warmth, Jimin clicked his tongue and rose to his feet.

"You guys obviously know nothing", he said and gripped firmly onto my blanket before giving it a pull. My weakened self couldn't protest against his actions, feeling the cold air sending a shiver down my body.

"What are you doing?", Namjoon asked, trying to figure out his intention. Jimin then threw the thick blanket over the single couch before he explained, "you shouldn't bundle up in blankets when having a fever, it will only make it worse".

Namjoon and I stared back at the angry looking alpha, realizing that he was right. But feeling the cold wasn't pleasing at all, my body began shaking harder. The black haired wolf observed my state before he faced Namjoon and asked, "do you think she caught some kind of an infection?".

"I'm not sure, it could also be a side effect of her pregnancy", the leader stated, placing his hands over his hips. I was told to sit straight and let the room temperature help reduce some of the fever. As we all sit by the living room, Namjoon came to the conclusion to start a conversation to avoid unnecessary boredom.

"Well, (y/n), is there anything you'd like to know?", Namjoon then wondered and formed a bright smile, ignoring Jimin's eye roll. I took myself a short moment, thinking about anything I still didn't know about wolves. And no matter how hard I tried, I just could collect the strength to talk. Namjoon was quick to notice my struggle and decided to take over instead, "I'm sure you don't know how our kind makes money, so allow me to explain".

The leader saw me forming a weak smile and shifted closer, placing his forearms over his thighs. Meanwhile, Jimin refused to take part in this dialogue and leaned his head backwards with over the couch.

"A long time ago we came to an agreement with dealers who do not reveal their identity but are willing to trade with us through private communication. Be it hunting, tailoring or keeping their territory safe by scarring off intruders. Everything works as long as we get paid well", the leader stated and motioned the other wolf to keep his mouth closed. Whatever comment Jimin was gonna make, it sure was gonna ruin Namjoon's convenient distraction from my fever.

"I'm glad you guys found a way to profit from your attributes. Your kind is basically richer than most humans", I said quietly and frowned when I felt another unpleasant wave of dizziness crossing my head.

"I don't believe we are richer. We just don't have to spend as much money as you humans", Namjoon pointed out. Jimin then raised his head again, he was eyeing me carefully before he took note of my worsening state. He gestured Namjoon to proceed but Namjoon only raised his eyebrows and signalized him that he had run out of topics.

"Tell her what happens when we transform", Jimin threw in to which Namjoon's lips parted. All I could do was watch them throwing strange facial gestures to each other.

"Right! When we transform-", Namjoon began and slowly shook his head, probably questioning his own actions before he continued, "-our clothes get torn, all the time. That's why we all own some of the same clothes but you get used to it by the time. Losing your clothes must be the only disadvantage for a wolf I guess because-".

I felt my eyelids slowly closing on me and my mind began to give in. I couldn't listen to the men in the room anymore and felt my head sinking. And only a few seconds later, I passed out.

-

"Not even one was willing to help?", I heard Namjoon's voice in the distance, feeling a hand over my forehead before Taehyung's voice could be heard next, "no one was even listened to me and they quickly figured I was a wolf so I had to leave. I'm sorry".

"Humans are useless as ever. Didn't you guys mention some medicine? Maybe she needs that", now I heard Jimin and he sounded rather irritated.

"I'll see what I can find", Taehyung's deep voice turned clearer this time, meaning I was finally gaining consciousness again. I slowly opened my eyes and came across a blurry face only a few inches away from mine. The longer I stared at him, better I recognized Jungkook's features.

"Are you alright?", he then asked softly. But this question, however, had taken me to the past. It reminded me of the very first time we had spoken to each other. I could feel my lips forming a smile as those sweet memories filled me with serenity. There was the unclear sight of the dark forest in the background. Jungkook placed his hand over my shoulder gently before he spoke again, "(y/n), I'm talking to you".

Something felt off once he said my name, it wasn't part of the memory. The forest slowly converted into the ceiling of our living room as my vision became clearer.

"You're back", I whispered, my throat feeling sore from the lack of water intake.

"Take her to bed, Jungkook", we heard Namjoon's order and Jungkook complied immediately, taking me into his arms before he carried me upstairs. There wasn't much I could comprehend, all I knew was that once I perceived the pillow underneath my head, my mind switched off.

-

It was 5:53 pm when I slowly fluttered my eyes open, feeling extremely hot below all these layers. When I caught the alpha's sight, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, I wondered for how I had been asleep.

"How are you feeling?", he asked and leaned over, placing his hand over my forehead to check for any serious fever.

"A little better", I said and felt his hand over my heart next, assuming he was making sure the organ was beating in a healthy rhythm.

"There is something I wanna ask you", I informed as I feeling the urge to release the inner chaos in my mind. The alpha fixed his eyes on me, confirming that he was listening.

"The females told me that an alpha in heat produces a scent which can even affect humans-".

I lowered my head and began fiddling with my fingers, refusing to show him the painted embarrassment over my face.

"-So, did you- I mean, was I-".

The wolf made a loud sigh which cut me off, he was clearly unamused by the mention of this topic.

"These females talk too much. You need to stop hanging out with them so often", he stated and ran his hand through his hair before he stood up.

"That's not what I meant-".

"Namjoon told me to make sure you rest while Taehyung is looking for the medicine", Jungkook said and crossed his arms. I couldn't help but frown, knowing damn well he was trying to dodge the actual issue.

"Sure. He is looking for something that doesn't even exist", I muttered and crossed my arms, the constant mention of the fake medicine was bothering me to the point I ignored the alpha's stare.

"What did you say?", he asked and raised an eyebrow. I could either choose to ignore his question and double his anger, or repeat myself in a more detailed way.

"There is no such thing as a medicine, Jungkook".

"What are you talking about?", the wolf asked and took a step closer, forcing me to state my point, "the medicine was only made up to cover another history. All I need is your warmth".

"Who told you that?", he asked.

"When I was at the mansion I met someone who was willing to tell me everything I needed to know, including your relationship in the past", I explained and watched him frown. He was ready to protest and did not hesitate before he reminded, "I said none of them were serious, (y/n)".

I frowned and leaned over to the nightstand, opened the drawer and groped for a small item. Once my fingers felt the leather bracelet, I threw it over the bed and let the alpha observe it before I asked, "and what about this one?".

"Where did you get this?", he asked and took the bracelet into his hands. He had recognized the accessory which could prove the accuracy of Lee's words.

"I asked you something", he said but this time he sounded pissed. When his dark eyes met mine, I didn't dare to challenge his patience and replied, "I got it from a female alpha, her name was Lee".

"What did she tell you?", he asked and slowly stepped closer. I swallowed down the pressure in my throat, fearing that I might have triggered a dark memory of his. The tone of my voice grew quieter as I spoke, "she said that you made a promise to her, that you'd return. She also said this pregnancy was planned, because you needed someone that would ensure your safety".

"Do you believe her?", his next question sped up the pace of my heartbeat. His thighs were pressed against the edge of the bed, his dark eyes gazing me down.

"I-I'm not sure", I stuttered and mentally cursed. Next, the alpha bent over to which I leaned back over the bed. He placed both hands on either side of me over the mattress, making sure he won't fall over me. My elbows were providing me with support but having the alpha over me made me feel nothing but weak. Only a few inches remained between our faces as the wolf whispered, "listen to me, (y/n). It was nothing but my sexual desire that left you pregnant. I won't let any lies break our bond".

I could feel it, my secret submissiveness joining the scene. Not only did my face catch fire, my heart was about to burst out through my chest. But I couldn't relent now, I couldn't let this treatment effect me in the slightest so I shifted the focus by mentioning the accessory again, "what about the bracelet?".

And just like I had expected, the alpha formed a frown before he withdrew himself. He sighed loudly, obviously bothered by my words, "it's true that I left it behind as a promise because I had no other choice. She refused to let me go so I had to make something up".

"Why did you never tell me of this?", I asked and slowly sat up again.

"I didn't think it was important but I figured it is", Jungkook said.

"What do you mean?".

"When the Gosens attacked your town, they didn't just come for you, they had come for me too. I assume Lee still wants me to return and had ordered them to bring me back", as I took in his words, I could sense another point of view approaching. A view that would let me observe this situation in a much more reasonable way.

"If they wanted me too, why did they let me go then?", I asked.

"That's what I'm trying to find out", the wolf said and looked over to the large window on his left. I took myself a moment to think, to add the small pieces together. The fact that Lee had lied to me and that another chaos could strike any moment. Even though I had learned so much, there was still a huge part of the story missing.

"Wait, does that mean they will attack again?", I then asked and watched the wolf meeting my gaze before he replied, "she won't stop until she has what she wants".

"Do the others know about Lee?", I asked to which the wolf replied quickly, "no and it will remain that way".

"But why? You could avoid another disaster if you talk to Namjoon. I'm sure he'll find a way to solve this", I explained but the wolf sounded determined to keep the whole piece to himself, "he won't help me, (y/n). He'll only make it worse".

"What makes you say that? Namjoon has always been willing to help us. Besides, this is his village, he would do anything to keep his people safe", I added but this time, the only response I received was pure silence.

"If the Gosens ever come back, they won't leave without murdering other people. You need to talk to Namjoon and-".

"I won't talk to him, (y/n)", the alpha's voice had grown deeper and mananged to shut me up, but not for too long.

"Fine. If you don't talk to him, I will. I don't want these people to suffer again", I said and climbed off the bed. However, the wolf grabbed me by my wrist in a painful way and held me in place.

"Do you think I want them to suffer?!", he shouted and made it clear that he didn't want me to intrude his plan. If only I knew what he had planned in his head but reading minds wasn't one of my many abilities. However, resisting was so I shouted back, "then go and talk to Namjoon!".

I tore my wrist from his grip and didn't let my mind think before shouting again, "don't be such a coward!-".

Suddenly, the alpha swung his fist towards the window and punched through the glass. Everything happened so quickly, all I could hear was the shattering of thin glass. The sudden loud noise had startled me, my first reaction was to cover my ears and eyes. Next, there was complete silence in the room and when I slowly opened my eyes, I stared at the ground. Next to all the shards of glass were drops of blood, a lot of it. I looked up to find Jungkook's knuckles covered in red liquid. My mouth felt as if it had been sealed with an invisible lock, I couldn't talk. But my mind was still functioning and letting me perceive this scene. He must have reached his limit and took out his building anger by breaking objects. He could have chosen me instead of the window, I thought.

"You need to rest", the alpha then said and turned to leave without waiting for a response. It was only then that I noticed I was paralyzed with fear. There was a huge hole in our window, blood on the floor and an unsolved issue. I exhaled deeply as my mind fell into an endless void, wondering when all of this was going to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You disgust me"  
*gagging sounds*
> 
> me @ this chapter


	10. Our Persistence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *angrily wipes tears away*
> 
> don't touch me

**Recommended song:**

**BTS - Tear**

**-**

It was past midnight when I heard the sound of a heavy object crumbling to the ground and flinched awake. I quickly sat up after I swung the thick blanket to the side, exposing my sweating chest to the view. The more my senses began to work, the better I could hear people screaming in the distance. My lungs felt dry, they were aching from the stuffy air in the room and required fresh air. I slowly tapped over the mattress on my left, wanting to wake up the alpha to cover my growing panic. But the spot was empty, he wasn't here. 

"Jungkook?", I called out loud, hoping he was somewhere on the lower floor. But there was no answer, the wolf hadn't returned yet. My heart threatened to burst out when the dreadful screams began to grow, something terrible was happening. I didn't know what to do, feeling panic taking over my mind. However, I reminded myself to remain calm and slowly stood up. The temperature was higher than usual, not to mention how illuminated the inside of the building was. And when I turned to the large window behind the bed, I finally figured the issue. My eyes winded at the sight outside my house, my trembling hands covering my parted lips.

"No", I whispered as my eyes observed the massive flames penetrating their way through the entire village. Every building had caught fire, some of them had fallen to the ground while others awaited to fall any moment. The hole in the window, which was caused by the alpha's anger, had allowed the smoke to enter the building. If I hadn't woken up, death could have greeted me in my sleep. I turned away from the window and carefully rushed downstairs. I had to exit this house before the ceiling could trap me underneath its heavy mass and crush me to death. The lack of air began to intensify, my lungs were burning. I had covered my mouth with my shirt but it wasn't working, I was caughing my way to the front door.

"Jungkook!", I shouted before falling on all fours. The air was suffocating, my sight becoming blurry within each effort made to get closer to the door.

"Ugh-", I choked as the weight of my body was pressing me lower to the ground. I couldn't make it to the front door but stretched my arm out before dropping it to the floor. Eventually, I fell over my side as the view turned into darkness. This was it, I thought. This was how my story would take its end, I thought. Until I bursted my eyes open and gasped for air, my chest heaving as I filled my lungs with air.

"It was just a dream", I whispered and closed my eyes again, placing my hand over my forehead covered in sweat.

"A nightmare I would say", a female voice echoed from the other side of the room to which I raised my head. I quickly sat up and took in my surroundings. The recognition hit me instantly, I had been in this room before. This only meant one thing, I was back in the mansion. I looked up to meet Lee's silent stare, she was wearing a red dress and had her black hair down. I wanted to ask her so many things, but I felt feeble. I could barely move my body, knowing that this pregnancy was dragging me downhill.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?", she then asked, her voice was soft and gentle as always. She crossed her arms and stepped closer to the bed I was on.

"You are way to good for him. He doesn't deserve such purity and innocence", she added and slowly shook her head to display the disapproval.

"Just look at yourself. You didn't look like this the last time you were here", she pointed at me and curved her eyebrows. I was unsure whether she was being serious or just sarcastic. And what I hated was that I couldn't tell which it was. It was true that my appearance had transformed negatively, but hearing that from her felt displeasing for some reason. Lee sat down next to me and took my weak hand into hers before she asked, "you want to survive, don't you?".

Her round eyes were looking deeply into mine, she was extremely close to me. She raised my hand and pressed it against her chest and offered, "let me help you".

"W-what are you talking about?", I asked and saw her inching closer. Her eyes were fixed, but mine weren't. I couldn't quite deal with this strange affection I was getting from her and trying to remove my hand was out of my current abilities.

"You won't be able to survive like this", she said and placed her free hand over my baby bump before she added, "allow me to help you two-".

I pushed her hand off of me, not letting the female finish her unnecessary offer.

"Don't touch me. I don't want your help", I said quietly. It seemed that she was ignoring my frown and only sighed before she added, "now, is this how you speak to someone who saved you?".

She could be referring to the fire in the village and since I couldn't remember much of it, there was no response I could make. However, I was aware that it was her pack that started the fire. That was at least my assumption.

"Saved me from something you started?", I asked rhetorically and watched her form a smile before she added, "I didn't start the fire".

My head began to spin, the infamous fever making its entrance again and rushing down to my body. I couldn't respond to her, nor react to my own worsening condition but when I felt her hold tightly onto my hands once more, I could tell her intentions weren't favorable.

"There's a lot you don't know of, (y/n), and I believe it is better this way", Lee said.

"Why won't you just tell me?", I asked.

"You wouldn't understand and besides, that's not why I'm here", she replied and leaned in closer.

"What are you-", I asked when I felt her place one of her hands on the back of my head while the other held tightly onto both of my wrists. It was a strength I couldn't compete against but I wasn't willing to give in so easily.

"Stay away from me-", I yelled and pushed my head back. But it was useless, Lee kept pulling me closer to what I thought was going to be a hug. An unwanted hug.

"Ssh, no need to be scared", she whispered into my ear and began stroking the back of my head. I was aware that she could sense my heartbeat, which was going faster than usual. I couldn't pull myself back, I couldn't even move. And as much I hated to admit it, I was scared.

"You might disagree but we need to make a few changes", Lee then began. I wanted to stop whatever she intended to do, beg her to release me but fear had sealed my mouth shut and curiosity forced me to listen.

"If you wish to survive this pregnancy, you require a mate. A new one", she added and gently tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck to her view. And right at this moment, it finally hit me. She was going to claim me. The thought alone was enough to convert all fear into strength and push her away.

"No! You can't do that-", I shouted but Lee was quick to grab me by my arms. Her tight grip was sending waves of pain, alerting my mind to be cautious. She wasn't just a female, she was an alpha and the harm she could put into me had no guarantee of healing.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, (y/n)", Lee's voice became deeper, I really had managed to irritate her.

"You can't claim someone that's already mated", I pointed out when I felt the urge to remind her of her own rules. But she only smiled, which was no good sign.

"Correct, that's why I can claim you", she said and pushed me backwards over the mattress. My wrists were held on either side of my head as the female wolf remained above me. The fact that she approved my previous statement wasn't pleasing at all, in fact, I made an internal gasp.

"W-what do you mean? What happened to Jungkook?", I asked and felt tears arleady forming in the corners of my eyes. Lee lowered her head, leaving only a few inches between our faces before she whispered, "his existence will remain history".

Next, she dragged my wrists above my head and held them firmly with one hand, while she used her other hand to turn my head to the side and reveal her chosen area.

"Stop!", I cried out loud but the alpha only chuckled before she whispered, "I always get what I want".

And before I could register anything else, she shoved her teeth into my skin. A quiet groan displayed the painful collision of teeth and flesh, the moment I felt the sharp stinging on my neck. Warm liquid began streaming out through her lips, joined by the tears I couldn't hold in anymore. I stopped moving entirely, trying to focus on blocking the pain. A short moment later, she removed her lips from my neck and climbed off. There was blood on her bottom lip before she licked it off.

"I do not take responsibility for Jungkook's misactions but I promise to fix them", she explained and turned towards the door. As I tried to catch back my stolen breath, I heard her close and lock the door and mentally cursed. This was my fault, all of it. I could have avoided this chaos, if only I had spoken to the others. I had kept everything in the jar until it exploded. I didn't even want to know what had happened to all the other villagers. The warm blood was flowing down my neck, my heart kept thudding against my chest. I was feeling strange, as if the bite had sucked my strength. I thought of closing my eyes, not intending to actually fall asleep.

-

I bursted my eyes open and gasped for air, reflectively placing my hand over the burning area on my neck. It was still hurting but all the other complaints had faded; the headache, the fever and even the pressure in my abdomen. I angrily raised myself to a sitting position and took in the sight of the empty room. When I looked to my left, I spotted clothing over the small table and assumed I should change. Even though I refused to accept any of their gifts, my current clothes had absorbed the smell of fire which was quite unpleasant. I sighed loudly and carefully left the bed. When I took the white piece into hand, it rolled open and revealed a white dress. I blankly stared at the dress for a short moment, mentally questioning myself and wondering just where I did wrong. Next, I took off my shirt and stared down at the round bulge on my belly.

"Don't worry, I won't let her hurt you. And whatever you do, do not decide to come out yet-", I said softly and began caressing the skin of the bump as I continued, "-we have to find daddy first and get out of here".

The dress I put on was long sleeved and had a v-neck, the length reaching just below my knees. And above all that, it was loose and allowing me to hide my baby bump.

"It could have been worse", I sighed and flinched when someone chose to enter the room without informing by knocking beforehand. Lee stood by the doorframe and, as always, her presence was quite unpleasant. She looked me up and down before she formed a smile.

"The color white suits you", she said and stepped further inside the room. Ignoring her pointless comment, I looked away and tied my hair into a loose ponytail.

"Where is he?", I asked and when I faced Lee, her smile had faded. It seemed that the mention of the other alpha was still irritating her, not that it mattered to me.

"You do not have to worry about him anymore. He won't bother you with his lies-". Lee explained but had me cut her off loudly, "the only lies that bother me are yours-".

Lee's features darkened, the dark aura around her growing in size. I was scared but letting her take advantage of my servility caused by fear would only be beneficial to her intentions.

"-I've had enough of your little games, Lee. Where is my alpha?".

A deep silence approached the room as Lee kept her dark eyes locked with mine until she slowly raised her hand and placed it over her chest, "right here".

She took in the sight of me raising an eyebrow and added, "I am your alpha now, (y/n), and that mark on your neck proves it".

This wasn't going to work, I couldn't get any information from her. She was acting like a robot that only gave the answers it was programmed to say. And that was irritating. I angrily lowered my gaze to the floor, refusing to take in any further of her sight. A little moment later Lee spoke again, "let me show you around your new home".

Her voice had grown softer again and when I stared up at her, she was motioning towards the door. The strong urge to decline her offer was lurking in the back of my head but staying locked in this room wouldn't really be helpful either. I hesitantly nodded and watched her open the door before she stepped out. When I left the room, I came across the same hallway from the first time I had been here. The path to the exit was roughly back on mind but not encouraging enough. Trying to flee by myself was surely not going to work and leaving without Jungkook hadn't even crossed my mind. This wasn't just going to be a tour around the mansion, this was going to give me a better picture of this place. We strolled through a long, dark corridor which was illumintated by faint lights hung on the walls. Lee then stopped in front of a large door, which stood at the end of the corridor, and turned to meet my gaze before she smiled, "this is the highlight of the mansion".

Before I could think of anything, I watched her push the door open and reveal the sight of a large hall. There was a wide staircase that halved in the middle and was leading to opposite direction on the second floor. Countless doors stood on every wall of this room, some of them different in design and color. One huge, golden chandelier hung on the center of the ceiling, bright enough to light up the entire room. I could easily get lost here, I thought. And what concerned me the most was that no other being was present. I noticed a red carpet layered over the stairs and followed its path, which lead to a large door. My first guess said it was the entrance and exit of this mansion, but I couldn't be sure. My eyes fell upon Lee who was making her way to the staircase before I dared to speak, "why are you doing this?".

"I thought you would prefer a walk around the mansion rather than being locked inside that room", Lee explained and didn't even bother to turn around as she began walking up the stairs.

"That's not what I meant", I said and watched the alpha stop on her tracks. She turned her head enough to catch my sight from the corners of her eyes.

"Why are you trying to separate me and Jungkook? Why won't you just leave us alone?", I asked. I could sense her growing anger, just like I was sensing my growing fear. However, I kept my stand. Just then a soft chuckle echoed through the hall, catching me off guard. Lee held her hand over her smiling lips as she spoke, "don't be so ridiculous, (y/n). How many times do I have to tell you that I'm only trying to save your life?".

She was so indescribably annoying. Her passive aggressive aura was visible to the naked eye, no matter how hard she tried to hide it underneath her cute appearance. She always found a way to counter my intentions, to dodge my questions and replace them with only more irritating confusion. I couldn't bear another second with her.

"I wanna go back to my room", I informed.

"Already? But you haven't even seen the garden", Lee said with wide eyes expressing false surprise.

"I said I wanna go back to my room", I repeated and heard her sigh loudly.

-

"This...this isn't my room", I said while standing below the wide door frame of a much bigger room than the one I woke up in.

"It is your new room. You won't be staying in that small hole of dirt anymore", Lee explained and stepped inside. The wallpaper was a dark red, combined with black furniture and a large queen sized bed in the middle. I didn't care how fancy this room appeared to be, there was nothing exciting about staying in this mansion. I slowly entered the room and took in my surroundings, the unfamiliarity feeling was even heavier this time.

"If there is anything you need, just knock on the door", Lee informed and hurried out of the door. She had looked out of the window a moment ago, maybe she had seen something outside. When I heard her close and lock the door, I went to the large window and used the red curtains as cover before looking out. There was a group of people in black clothes, guessing they were part of the Gosens. I could recognize a few faces, my heart sinking to my stomach when my eyes landed on the new leader.

And just after a few seconds of silent watching, the leader suddenly decided to look up. I quickly retreated from the window, hoping he didn't notice my presence. This was bad, I was on the second floor with a stranger behind my door watching me 24/7. I couldn't escape through the window without breaking a few bones, or putting the child's condition at risk. I had lost track of the dark corridor I once escaped from when Lee brought me upstairs. This mansion was larger than it looked from the outside, fleeing this time seemed to be a harder challenge. I sat down on the bed and sighed, stroking the roundness below my dress.

"This is gonna be difficult but mommy won't give up until everyone is saved-", I quietly said, smiling down at my belly before the consequences resulted by failed attempts crossed my mind.

"-And try not to die, of course".

-

After repeatedly walking back and forth in the room for the past half an hour, I decided to use my door option and knocked on it.

"What do you want?", I heard a deep voice from the other side, and I couldn't recognize the owner of that unpleasant tone.

"I need the bathroom", I said.

"There is a bathroom inside your room", the male was quick to point out which made me turn around and actually spot a door at the corner. I hadn't noticed the extra room until now so not only did this request made me seem dumb, I also made it obvious that I chose an excuse to get out. I mentally cursed and turned back to the door before speaking again, "and I need clothes".

"Feel free to choose whatever from the closet", the voice responded, forcing me to throw a quick glare at the large closet.

"May I get some fresh air, at least?", I then asked and felt my nerves crumble into nonexistence.

"Open the window", the male simply said which was the last string I was holding onto. I smacked my hand against the solid material, hoping it had startled the stranger on the other side. Asking myself whether the throbbing pain in my hand was worth the display of anger, I groaned and walked back to the bed. The view outside my window was beautiful, but not as much as the view I used to observe from my balcony. Recalling those days felt heavy on my heart. There was a long list of people I missed dearly and one name was underlined in red. I felt my heart aching as their faces crossed my mind. Everything had changed so quickly, in only one night. Just when I had thought everything would be okay, I had lost everything.

"At least, you're still with me", I whispered and placed my palm over the baby bump. I wondered how much time I had left before the sudden act of going into labor. I had studied enough to be aware of what to expect, meaning I even knew how to give birth in the middle of the forest. But that wasn't the issue, what really worried me was that giving birth in this mansion could be the last thing I would ever do.

A few days had passed and I started to memorize the pack's daily routine after watching them everyday from the window. A group of wolves would leave early in the morning and come back in the middle of the night. During that period the entire mansion was quiet and empty, just like I was preferring it. Lee was visiting me from time to time and was bringing food, clothes or other personal needs. But this was going to end, I finally had made a plan and attempting to get it going was my duty. After making sure the departing group had gone far enough to cause any risk, I carefully sneaked behind the closet and pressed my back against the wooden piece. With one deep inhale, I mentally went through the entire plan once more. Next, I screamed from the top of my lungs and could feel the burn down in my lungs. It didn't take the guy on the other side of the door too long to react and quickly unlock the door.

"What's going on?!", he asked and bursted inside the room. However, for him the place was empty. I was aware he could sense my scent but having me out of sight was rising his suspicion.

"Where are you?", I heard him asking through the room before he entered the little bathroom. I began praying as I waited patiently, hoping the wolf would notice the piece of clothing sticking out of the closet doors, which would make it look like I was hiding inside. It was a perfect plan to trick a wolf, making him assume my scent was coming from the clost and not from behind it. And since this entire room was already filled with my scent, it was harder for him to spot the actual source. His heavy steps revealed that he was back in the room, my heart began racing in my chest.

"Did you really think you can hide from me?", he said which notified the fact that he had finally taken note of the cloth. I firmly placed both palms against the wall, preparing myself for the force I would be using soon.

"I thought you were smarter than this-", he said and held onto the closet doors before swinging them open.

"-But looks like you are just like the rest", he added before it turned quiet. This was it, now was my turn. The closet was open and empty inside, making the best and heaviest trap in this room. I began pushing as hard as I could and felt the heavy item behind me slowly falling backwards. I raised both legs against the wall and pushed harder, the speed of the closet growing and giving the wolf no time to react.

"Huh?!", his confusion was loud enough, he noticed the falling closet. However, a little too late. The entire object fell over him with a loud thud and with both closet doors open, I managed to trap him and prevent him from being crushed. The impact of the fall had even reached my back, forcing me to groan in pain before I recovered and quickly stood up. The key was still inside the door so I hurried over and closed it. After locking the door, I carefully made my way to the hall and hoped not to encounter anyone. Once stepping inside the four walls of the hall, I scanned the empty area and hurried downstairs. The amount of courage I owned was surprising me but now was not the time for self-praise. I had to remain focused and find Jungkook. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and took in the sight of many doors, not knowing where each of them was leading. Assuming that the alpha was held inside a cage, in a dark and dirty place, I decided to choose the darkest looking door.

"Could this be it?", I whispered and looked over to another dark looking door. There were many options but limited time. Just then another door opened and two males entered the hall. I had no choice but to go through the door I had chosen, getting caught was none of my aims. I came across another long corridor and moved along. There were same looking doors on my left side. With the amount of rooms in this mansion, this building could make a perfect hotel. I was about to make a left turn but stopped when I heard voices and pressed my back over the wall.

"He isn't going to tell us anything", a deep voice spoke.

"Then we'll continue until he changes his mind", the other said before the sound of a metal door closing echoed through the corridors. To my luck both males went to other way so all I did was wait for them to leave before rushing into the corridor and observing the row of metal doors on either side. I mentally cursed, not knowing which door they had just closed. Fortunately, every door owned a small slit that provided with a view of the inside. I proceeded to stare through every narrow opening but every room was empty. Every room, except for one. I covered my mouth when my eyes met the sight of Namjoon inside the dark room. He was sitting on the floor, his head was hanging low and his chest barely moving. The door had its lock on the outside so no key was needed. I quietly opened the door and closed it behind me.

"Namjoon?", I called softly and hurried over to him. The silver haired wolf slowly lifted his head, stealing a gasp from my lips. Although the room was dark, the bruises and blood on his face were still visible.

"What happened to you?", I asked and lowered myself down on my knees next to him.

"y/n, is that you?", Namjoon asked with a dry sounding voice. He could hardly raise his head as he tried to maintain eye contact.

"What did they do to you?", I asked and scanned his current condition before seeing the chains on his wrists.

"You shouldn't be here", he said and held onto my hand tightly as he asked, "how did you even find me?".

"I wasn't actually searching for you, I didn't even know you were here", I explained while trying to find the seal that secured the chain's attachment.

"Where are the others?", he then asked.

"I don't know, they aren't telling me anything", I replied. The irritation was growing, when I figured the chains were nailed to the wall in a way to make it impossible for me to pull them out.

"Damn it", I spat angrily.

"Listen, (y/n), you need to go-", Namjoon said but was cut off quickly when I turned to face him again, "I'm not going anywhere! Besides, they don't even know where I am".

"Your scent-", he began and placed his hand over my shoulder before he continued, "you carry a strong scent, (y/n). It isn't yours but it's very strong. You have to go before they find you".

Of course, Lee's scent was all over my body. I had completely forgotten about it and also the fact that she had bitten me. I couldn't help but curse, refusing to leave the alpha right after I had found him.

"I need to get you out of here", I said with an attempt to shift the focus.

"It's useless, (y/n). We both know that I can't leave. Even if I get out, trying to escape in this condition would mean suicide", Namjoon explained.

"But I can't just leave you here, Namjoon. I don't wanna go back there-", I said but choked on my words as tears began forming in the corners of my eyes.

"Don't worry about me, (y/n). Worry about this-", Namjoon's voice had turned lower as he spoke. He gently placed his hand over my belly before our eyes met again, "-your actions will also affect your baby".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries into notes*


End file.
